turn against

phrasal verb

turned against; turning against; turns against
1
: to stop supporting or being friendly to (someone or something)
The senator eventually turned against the war.
She turned against her best friend.
2
: to cause (someone) to stop being friendly toward (someone)
He tried to turn our friends against us.
3
: to use (something) in a way that harms or discredits (someone)
Her political opponent tried to turn her many years of experience in Washington against her.

Examples of turn against 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.
Cap turns against his bestie, Iron Man, to protect Bucky, motivating the entire Civil War arc. Bethy Squires, Vulture, 23 Feb. 2026 Americans under 45 have sharply turned against him, with particularly steep drops in approval among Latino voters. Nik Popli, Time, 23 Feb. 2026 But on both issues, public sentiment has turned against him. Michelle L. Price, Chicago Tribune, 23 Feb. 2026 Around 2010, public sentiment turned against the Democrats. Linley Sanders, Los Angeles Times, 18 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for turn against

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Turn against.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/turn%20against. Accessed 27 Feb. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on turn against

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster