look the other way

English

Pronunciation

• Audio (General Australian):

  (file)

Verb

look the other way (third-person singular simple present looks the other way, present participle looking the other way, simple past and past participle looked the other way)

1. (idiomatic) To ignore something wrong; to turn a blind eye to something; to connive at something.

   Synonyms: (obsolete) connive, shut one's eyes, wink

   The policeman decided to look the other way when he realized the criminal’s act could benefit him.

Translations

to ignore something wrong

• German: wegschauen (de), wegsehen (de)
• Italian: chiudere un occhio, fare finta di nulla, guardare dall'altra parte, lasciare correre
• Polish: odwracać wzrok impf, odwrócić wzrok pf, patrzeć przez palce (pl) impf
• Portuguese: fazer vista grossa (pt)
• Russian: смотре́ть сквозь па́льцы (ru) (smotrétʹ skvozʹ pálʹcy, literally “look through one's fingers”)
• Spanish: hacer la vista gorda, mirar para otro lado, hacer caso omiso (es), mirar hacia otro lado

See also

• bury one's head in the sand