THE IDIOM COLLECTION LEARN & PRACTISE
Turn a blind eye
Understand the meaning. See it in context. Make it yours.
01 / UNDERSTAND
Meaning in plain English
To deliberately ignore something.
02 / SEE IT IN CONTEXT
The expression in a sentence
- The manager turned a blind eye to the minor rule-breaking.
03 / CHECK YOUR UNDERSTANDING
Quick idiom quiz
Try the question without looking back, then write a sentence of your own. You can retry as often as you like.
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Can you recall the expression?
Which expression from this lesson matches this meaning?
To deliberately ignore something.
Show the answer
Turn a blind eye — To deliberately ignore something.
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Make it yours
Write one sentence using “Turn a blind eye” about your own life.
Check your sentence
Does your sentence match this meaning?
To deliberately ignore something.
Compare: The manager turned a blind eye to the minor rule-breaking.
Check the spelling and how the expression fits the sentence. Your example can be different.
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More ways to understand and use it
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How to use this expression
The usual pattern is “turn a blind eye to something”. It implies that the person is aware of a problem and chooses to ignore it. That is different from simply failing to notice. The phrase often conveys criticism of that choice.
More examples
The referee was accused of turning a blind eye to repeated fouls.
We should not turn a blind eye to mistakes in the final report.
Check your understanding
Which preposition completes the phrase: “turn a blind eye ___ the problem”?
Answer: To. The phrase describes deliberate ignoring.
Awareness changes the meaning
A supervisor sees that a required check has been skipped but chooses not to address it. Another supervisor never sees the missing check.
Think it through: Which supervisor can accurately be described as turning a blind eye?
Check the explanation
The first: awareness and a choice to ignore are central to this use. The second may have failed to notice, but the facts do not establish deliberate ignoring. Avoid using the idiom to claim intent when the evidence only shows that something was missed.
Your turn: Write a sentence about the first supervisor using “to” after the idiom.
Compare expressions: Secrets, silence and ignoring problems
Keeping quiet does not always mean ignoring a problem. Compare an instruction to stop talking, revealing a secret and deliberately overlooking something wrong.
Try the situation question and check your answer →