turn 1 of 2

verb

ˈtərn How to pronounce turn (audio)
Definition of turnnext
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Synonyms & Similar Words
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

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
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

Synonyms & Similar Words
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

turn

2 of 2

noun

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
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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
That’s the factor that turns a blackout from an inconvenience to a deadly threat. — Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 6 Oct. 2026 Beyond the repartee between Nick and Sam, Addy and Wyatt share a sibling-like relationship that could turn into something more, especially since Wyatt is nursing a broken heart following the sudden end of his engagement. — Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 6 Oct. 2026
Noun
The play takes an existential turn when Stacey chases down her mother. — Michelle F. Solomon, Miami Herald, 29 Sep. 2026 Before Prince Philip became Queen Elizabeth II’s husband, the history of the British royal family was on the verge of taking a very different turn. — Diego Parrado, Vanity Fair, 29 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for turn
Recent Examples of Synonyms for turn
  1. rotate
  2. swing
  3. deviate
  4. become
  5. revolve
  6. ponder
  7. depend
  8. spin
Verb
  • The 2026 shows will again feature a rotating assortment of live openers, along with afterparties featuring DJ sets from special guests.
    — SPIN Staff, SPIN, 30 Sep. 2026
  • Chicken salad sandwiches, hummus, pastries, jam and burrata toast, rotating salads and sandwiches and other bites will be available.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of rotate
Verb
  • When the Spider swings past a silverish-gray newsstand filled with copies of the Daily Bugle, the frame becomes black-and-white, even in the color version.
    — Harmon Siegel, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026
  • There was no notice to staff that swings in blood sugar levels can cause the kind of emotional distress and behavioral outbursts that got Christian in trouble.
    — Joseph Shapiro, NPR, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of swing
Verb
  • Neon has been in communication the SCP Wiki team to ensure the film’s distribution does not deviate from their mission and licensing guidelines.
    — Matt Grobar, Deadline, 30 Sep. 2026
  • The complication shows the moon phases for both the Northern and Southern hemispheres, with a 135-tooth driving wheel that drastically enhances accuracy, deviating by just one day every 122 years.
    — Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of deviate
Verb
  • That additional aircraft could become particularly useful as government and commercial programs seek more frequent flight opportunities.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Childhood fatty liver disease increases mortality risk 40-fold and has become the fastest-growing cause of liver transplants in young adults.
    — Babak J. Orandi, STAT, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of become
Verb
  • Kura Sushi, a tech-forward revolving sushi bar with more than 100 menu items, also debuted in Ballantyne this summer.
    — Tanasia Kenney, Charlotte Observer, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Over the past two decades, the CCP has come to revolve ever more tightly around a single man.
    — Carl Minzner, Foreign Affairs, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of revolve
Verb
  • It might be pondered, for example, by people who love pets, consider the ethics of eating meat, or worry about the biosphere.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Sep. 2026
  • For more than a year, industry stakeholders in Georgia and the rest of the country have pondered how public policy could help jolt the film industry in the United States.
    — Savannah Sicurella, AJC.com, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of ponder
Verb
  • Meanwhile, the Associated Press reported that Republicans had substantial campaign funds to deploy and that the result could depend on whether Democrats turn out their voters.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 4 Oct. 2026
  • In the Shawnee, conservationists point to threatened wildlife such as the Indiana bat and timber snake that depend on an intact forest habitat.
    — Christiana Freitag, Chicago Tribune, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of depend
Verb
  • In the book, Lucy and Mina, the two main female characters caught up in the web of horror spun by the terrifying Transylvanian count Dracula, stand out as strong, intelligent and courageous.
    — Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 4 Oct. 2026
  • Then came the surprising part The team used muon spin relaxation to look for extremely weak magnetic fields inside the material.
    — Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of spin

Phrases Containing turn

Browse Nearby Words

turmoils
turn
turnabout
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Turn.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/turn. Accessed 7 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
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

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of discreet

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
name tags
Words Named After People Quiz Find out who’s behind "leotard," "morphine," an...
See All