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

The Spurs wing just watched his teammates take turns trying to score on their star center, then going back down the other end of the floor to try to do it again. —Jared Weiss, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025

Three couples take turns renting a Buenos Aires flat to briefly escape their lives, only to spark jealousy, regrets and misunderstandings. —Anna Marie De La Fuente, Variety, 1 Oct. 2025

While they were lined up, members put on boxing gloves and took turns punching the pledges four times in the chest, according to the petition. —Jennifer Rodriguez, Miami Herald, 30 Sep. 2025

There was a logjam as the likes of Walton Goggins, Christopher Briney, Eva Herzigova and Carla Bruni took turns posing in front of the Iron Lady. —Joelle Diderich, Footwear News, 29 Sep. 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