take turns

phrase

variants also British take it in turns

: to do something one after another in regular succession in order to share the responsibility or opportunity of doing it : alternate

We take turns washing the dishes.

Almost immediately, Rick and Diane begin videotaping their classroom lessons, letting their students take turns with the cameras.

—Ann Bradley

Several youths were around the phone, taking it in turns to gossip and joke with the operator.

—Christopher Isherwood

Examples of take turns in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

At Relay For Life, find community members taking turns walking a path or track lined with luminaria bags. — Hema Sivanandam, Mercury News, 13 July 2026

Red Bull’s former chief technical officer Adrian Newey was behind the wheel, taking turns with his son, Harrison, and F1 drivers Yuki Tsunoda and Isack Hadjar. — Jason Barlow, Robb Report, 13 July 2026

On shore, tourists and tour company staff took turns performing CPR and giving oxygen to the victims, state media said. — CBS News, 13 July 2026

For a little more than three hours, four female undercover sheriff’s officers took turns standing at 48th and Cicero and at 50th and Cicero. — Sam Charles, Chicago Tribune, 13 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1613, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for take turns

• holofernes
• overturns
• subalterns
• adjourns
• concerns
• discerns
• downturns
• internes
• nocturnes
• returns
• sideburns
• churns