verb phrase🎓 English idiom

turn a blind eye

to deliberately ignore something wrong

What it means

To deliberately ignore something wrong, choosing not to notice or act on it. It implies a conscious decision to overlook bad behaviour or an uncomfortable fact.

Examples

  • The manager turned a blind eye to staff arriving late every morning.
  • We can't turn a blind eye to cheating just because he's popular.
  • She turned a blind eye to her brother's faults out of loyalty.
  • Officials were accused of turning a blind eye to the pollution.

Where it comes from

The expression is popularly tied to Admiral Nelson, who reputedly raised a telescope to his blind eye at the 1801 Battle of Copenhagen to ignore an order to withdraw.

Related idioms

#under the table#let sleeping dogs lie#give the benefit of the doubt#keep an eye on

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