take turns

idiomatic 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

Starting in 2000, the Steelers, Jets, Colts, Ravens, Broncos all took turns poking the bear that was the dynasty-era Patriots, and, occasionally, drew blood. —Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 7 Dec. 2025

During the show, veteran artists like Jeff Hanna (of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band), Jim Lauderdale, and Steve Earle took turns on stage, performing alongside the band in Malo’s absence. —Chris Parton, Rolling Stone, 6 Dec. 2025

Players choose a card, which offers a category like pizza toppings or cartoons, and take turns shouting out a word that fits the category and corresponds to a letter on the board that hasn’t already been used. —Maggie Horton, PEOPLE, 4 Dec. 2025

And some come from Seth, as his animation takes turns into the absurdist, from parodies of old video games to a commercial for a city made of toilets. —Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 4 Dec. 2025

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