English idiom

turn a blind eye

Register · Neutral CEFR B2

Post

Figurative meaning

To deliberately ignore something you know is wrong.

Why this phrase?

Said to come from a commander raising a telescope to his blind eye.

Example

“The manager turned a blind eye to staff leaving early on Fridays.”

Dictionary details

Tags

Expressions connected by reviewed component words or topic tags.

bury one's head in the sand

to ignore an unpleasant reality hoping it will go away

wake-up call

an event that forces you to realize a problem you were ignoring

pull the wool over someone's eyes

to deceive someone

take for granted

to fail to appreciate something or assume it will always be there

Source methodology

Meanings, register, CEFR, and examples come from the reviewed dictionary record. Expression notes may describe a reviewed present-day word picture or a background note; they are not presented as verified etymology.

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