turn on (one's) heel

turn on (one's) heel

To suddenly leave or depart. After walking in on an obviously private conversation, I turned on my heel and stepped right back out of the room. Several high-profile sponsors have turned on their heels following the athlete's controversial statements.See also: heel, on, turn

turn on one's heel

Leave, as in When I inquired about his sister, he turned on his heel and walked away. This idiom alludes to making a sharp about-face similar to a military step but here usually implies a sudden departure. It was first recorded in 1751. See also: heel, on, turn

turn on your heel

turn sharply round.See also: heel, on, turn

ˌturn/ˌspin on your ˈheel

suddenly turn around and leave, often because you are angry or annoyed: Quite unexpectedly he turned on his heel and walked out of the door.See also: heel, on, spin, turn