turn 1 of 2

1
as in to rotate
to move (something) in a curved or circular path on or as if on an axis turned the doorknob as quietly as possible

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Relevance
2
as in to swing
to change the course or direction of (something) the dog turned the stampeding flock of sheep around he turned his cart uphill

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3
as in to deviate
to change one's course or direction we turned left at the light the storm unexpectedly turned south and missed our area

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4
as in to become
to eventually have as a state or quality will turn 12 in six months

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5
6
7
as in to depend
to be determined by, based on, or subject (to) what we do next turns on your answer to the following question

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8
as in to spin
to be in a confused state as if from being twirled around all the new information made his head turn

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9
as in to persuade
to cause to have often negative opinions formed without sufficient knowledge he did his best to turn his new friends against his ex-wife

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turn

2 of 2

noun

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5
as in bout
a sudden experiencing of a physical or mental disorder a sudden turn of dizziness that may have been brought on by a change in her medication

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6
as in act
a performance regularly presented by an individual or group between the show's two major musical acts, there was a short turn by a juggling troupe

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of turn
Verb
Also, working the studio each week could turn into a grind for Jordan. Bob Raissman, New York Daily News, 17 May 2025 The nine-horse sprint turned into a four-horse battle by the final stretch and featured several lead changes. Taylor Lyons, Baltimore Sun, 17 May 2025
Noun
At almost every turn, they were guarded, held at gunpoint and kept in such deplorable conditions that one of them developed countless sores, another could not walk and a third had serious health conditions that went untreated. Shirsho Dasgupta, Miami Herald, 16 May 2025 The British would in turn face lower trade barriers on automobiles, though the 10-percent universal baseline tariff—which impacts goods from the U.K.—will remain in place. Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 16 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for turn
Recent Examples of Synonyms for turn
Verb
  • The Chargers rotated heavily at corner in Tuesday’s practice.
    Daniel Popper, New York Times, 28 May 2025
  • The brigade rotates its infantry only on days when fog, rain, snow, or heavy wind limit the enemy’s visibility.
    Nataliya Gumenyuk, The Atlantic, 27 May 2025
Verb
  • The president's team has now swung the pendulum in the opposite direction from five years ago, even attempting to rescind findings of constitutional violations in the cities where Floyd and Taylor lost their lives.
    Phillip M. Bailey, USA Today, 27 May 2025
  • The momentum swung again on the next hole when Griffin saved par from behind a tree in the fairway and Schmid curiously aimed away from the hole with his ball plugged in a bunker, ended up in the rough and made bogey.
    CBS News, CBS News, 25 May 2025
Verb
  • No one deviates, because no one has an incentive to, unless someone changes the underlying payoff structure.
    Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 23 May 2025
  • Like Episode 3 of Season 1, Sunday’s installment of the series was the rare episode that deviated from the game’s narrative to tell a deeper story about the characters.
    Lorraine Ali, Los Angeles Times, 19 May 2025
Verb
  • But what the restaurant has become most famous for is its maneki-neko figurines, otherwise known as a beckoning cat, which has become a mascot for the restaurant.
    Hikmat Mohammed, Footwear News, 24 May 2025
  • These peers became my first readers, accountability buddies, and partners in promoting my book.
    Jaclyn Westlake, CNBC, 24 May 2025
Verb
  • Garcia pointed out the movie will have an uplifting dimension, revolving on the strong bond between a mother and her son.
    Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 14 May 2025
  • Too many individuals think the world revolves only around them.
    Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 25 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • California Democrats are now pondering the unthinkable.
    Editorial, Boston Herald, 22 May 2025
  • The Sharks could have a lot to think about – or nothing to ponder at all.
    Eric Stephens, New York Times, 20 May 2025
Verb
  • The distribution of payments depends on which day of the month a retiree was born.
    Ross O'Keefe, The Washington Examiner, 25 May 2025
  • Social isolation and loneliness may be chronic or occur in episodes, but that depends on an individual’s circumstances.
    Joshua Zatulskis, Hartford Courant, 25 May 2025
Verb
  • To have this ability to contain secrets but to withhold them and have this facade with Michaela that’s totally different than the relationship with her sister, to keep all those plates spinning, that’s a tall order.
    Lauren Coates, Variety, 24 May 2025
  • The airwaves are full of young stars spinning narratives with a Jarvis-style eye for junk detail, from Chappell to Billie to Olivia.
    Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 23 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Turn.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/turn. Accessed 30 May. 2025.

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