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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Participants take turns answering the questions. Mary Alice Russell, Southern Living, 28 Dec. 2025 In addition to meeting up for committee sessions (which are also held virtually) and special occasions such as the biennial PFV Prize ceremony, the families take turns hosting annual shindigs at their various estates. Mike Desimone, Robb Report, 27 Dec. 2025 But they can still be thrust back to their days of wanderlust and thrill-seeking whenever caretakers at the community in Los Gatos, California, schedule a date for residents — many of whom are in their 80s and 90s — to take turns donning virtual reality headsets. Michael Liedtke, Fortune, 26 Dec. 2025 Mommy and Daddy take turns rocking him, taking his temperature, and wiping his nose. Elisabeth Sherman, Parents, 26 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for take turns

Word History

First Known Use

1613, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of take turns was in 1613

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Cite this Entry

“Take turns.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/take%20turns. Accessed 30 Dec. 2025.

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