star turn

noun

1

a

: a performance, role, or appearance (as in a movie or television show) that is done by a star or well-known personality

… we might see a Best Actress nod for Jane Horrock's nuanced portrayal in Life Is Sweet instead of Bette Midler's star turn in For the Boys …

—Peter Travers

Slater … delivers a surprisingly effective performance in this otherwise muddled thriller made before his attention-grabbing star turn in Heathers.

—Ed Hulse

… she would surely dump the bother of serving as Alaska's besieged governor for a lucrative star turn on Fox News.

—Frank Rich

b

: an outstanding performance or prominent role in or contribution to something

The fresh, soft, white Italian cheese called mascarpone is most famous for its star turn in tiramisu …

—Jane Daniels Lear

The football gods would return the favor early in the fourth quarter on a strangely similar play that bounced Indy's way, with center Jeff Saturday getting the star turn.

—Michael Silver

2

chiefly British : the featured skit or number in a theatrical production

also : the most outstanding or prominent person or thing in a group

The star turn of a recent lunch in the plant-filled conservatory was a Goan curry—chunks of succulent chicken breast in a sauce the color of pesto, made with green chilies and coriander.

—R. W. Apple, Jr.

Examples of star turn in a Sentence

She was nominated for an Oscar for her star turn as a single mother raising three children alone.

She was the star turn in yesterday's game.

Recent Examples on the Web

For her star turn as Dundus—best friend of Fred Hechinger’s mad, syphilitic emperor Caracalla in Gladiator II—Sherry quickly staked her claim as Hollywood’s next It girl. —Liam Hess, Vogue, 2 Mar. 2025

Val Kilmer, a versatile Hollywood anti-hero of the 1980s and 1990s with star turns as both Batman and Jim Morrison, has died. —Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 2 Apr. 2025

There are no star turns among the tight ensemble, who undertook three weeks of intensive Navy SEAL boot-camp training to prepare for the shoot, and no weak link either. —David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 28 Mar. 2025

After another star turn against Leicester on Friday night, Mbeumo has scored 15 goals, with four assists, in 26 league games this season, and is currently the fifth-highest scorer in the division. —Tom Burrows, The Athletic, 23 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1885, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for star turn

• adjourn
• concern
• decern
• discern
• downturn
• extern
• heartburn
• interne
• nocturne
• return
• sunburn
• unworn