1
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
4
5
as in to revolve
to move in circles around an axis or center
the wheels turned, but the car was hopelessly stuck and wasn't moving
Synonyms & Similar Words
6
as in to ponder
to give serious and careful thought to
turned the question every which way but could find no answer
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
7
8
1
as in walk
a relaxed journey on foot for exercise or pleasure
would you care to take a turn around the garden?
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in kindness
an act of kind assistance
one good turn deserves another
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in tendency
a habitual attraction to some activity or thing
an adventurous turn of mind that led him toward more physical activities like biking and skateboarding
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in bend
something that curves or is curved
right after this turn in the road you'll find the antiques shop on the right
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Julie Tremaine, PEOPLE, 16 Sep. 2025
The normally quiet airport turned festive.
—Rafael Romo, CNN Money, 16 Sep. 2025
Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 10 Sep. 2025
Verizon had arrangements with two aggregators, LocationSmart and Zumigo, which in turn contracted with 63 third-party entities.
—Nate Anderson, ArsTechnica, 10 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for turn
Verb
But after The Bob Newhart Show, Bonerz primarily turned his focus to directing.
—Julie Tremaine, PEOPLE, 16 Sep. 2025
The normally quiet airport turned festive.
—Rafael Romo, CNN Money, 16 Sep. 2025
Noun
The oil is cold-pressed, so no heat or chemicals strip away its natural nutrients, which in turn deeply condition and soften strands.
—Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 10 Sep. 2025
Verizon had arrangements with two aggregators, LocationSmart and Zumigo, which in turn contracted with 63 third-party entities.
—Nate Anderson, ArsTechnica, 10 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for turn
Recent Examples of Synonyms for turn
Verb
-
Smarter Buying And Storage Habits The best way to keep spices at their peak is to buy, store, and rotate them wisely.—
Katie Rosenhouse,
Southern Living,
14 Sep. 2025
-
That’s a completely different challenge than rotating two and switching them out each drive and in certain packages.—
Cameron Teague Robinson,
New York Times,
14 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
That kind of dexterity is apparent in the footwork, one of those features that can swing matches when the going gets tough.—
Tim Ellis,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
-
After the Blue Jays swung a trade to bring in Shane Bieber at this season's deadline, Edward Eng of FanSided's Jays Journal predicted the team would turn to him as a long-term replacement while letting Max Scherzer walk this winter.—
Peter Chawaga,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Even in states whose policy deviates from the CDC, each pharmacy can set its own boundaries on who can be vaccinated, and individual pharmacists may fear liability for vaccinating pregnant customers, Groves said.—
Yasmin Tayag,
The Atlantic,
16 Sep. 2025
-
Dell said the real challenge is how quickly students who deviate from their peers’ politics can be ostracized.—
Hanna Kang,
Oc Register,
13 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Kirk promised that her husband will not have died in vain and said that instead his message would only become stronger.—
Michael Loria,
USA Today,
13 Sep. 2025
-
Set two years after the little robot lady went on a murderous rampage and was subsequently destroyed, M3GAN’s creator Gemma (Williams) has become a high-profile author and advocate for government oversight of AI.—
Denise Petski,
Deadline,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Since cable cars can’t reverse, operators must physically turn each car on a revolving wooden turntable at the terminus.—
Maggie Downs,
Oc Register,
9 Sep. 2025
-
Mid-summer changes to United’s revolving credit facility indicated a switch in strategy, and there was a more aggressive approach in the market following a summit in Iceland between Sir Jim Ratcliffe, chief executive Omar Berrada and director of football Jason Wilcox.—
James McNicholas,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
As Mary’s family attempts to rally around the Downton heiress, Robert (Hugh Bonneville) and Cora (Elizabeth McGovern) are navigating their way through more financial strife, with those downstairs also left to ponder what the future holds for aristocratic homes like theirs.—
Lily Ford,
HollywoodReporter,
16 Sep. 2025
-
Brendan McDermid | Reuters After Swedish payments group Klarna’s $17 billion initial public offering, investors are pondering which big fintech name will be the next to go public.—
Ryan Browne,
CNBC,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The severity, healing and availability of Purdy’s toe will depend heavily on which toe is injured and what specific part of the toe got injured.—
Bruce Y. Lee,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
-
Prices range from $39,625 to $57,205 depending on model.—
Mark Phelan,
USA Today,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Delivering an incredible 280 Air Watts of suction through its fifth generation Hyperdymium capable of spinning at 135,000rpm, the flagship model boasts a number of other supporting technologies such as laser dust detection, whole-machine HEPA filtration, and a 70-minute runtime.—
Alex Harrington,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 Sep. 2025
-
Gaudí’s structure is a head-spinning mixture of morphing geometrical forms, many inspired by nature.—
D. T. Max,
New Yorker,
15 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Turn.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/turn. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share