TURN ON Synonyms: 199 Similar and Opposite Words

turn (on) 1 of 3

verb (1)

Definition of turn (on)

as in to attack

to take sudden, violent action against it is dangerous to keep tigers as house pets, as they often turn on their masters without warning

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turn-on

2 of 3

noun

as in lure

something that persuades one to perform an action for pleasure or gain knew the offer of free pizza would be a major turn-on to the pair of teenagers she had just asked to help her move

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turn on

3 of 3

verb (2)

as in to thrill

to cause a pleasurable stimulation of the feelings unsurprisingly, the fanboys were turned on by the movie's amazing special effects and slam-bang plot

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to trigger

to cause to function would you turn on the TV?

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for turn (on)

Verb

Qatar and Oman have also been attacked by Iranian drones and missiles.

— Lauren Morganbesser, semafor.com, 22 Sep. 2026
Fire grows after manhunt keeps crews out The Mineral Fire grew to 18 acres by Monday morning after the armed manhunt prevented firefighters from attacking it for hours.

— Daniel Hunt, Sacbee.com, 21 Sep. 2026

Definition of attack

Noun

In another simulation, a Gemini agent, while initially flagging the phishing lure, acted on it about 46 hours later.

— Jake Angelo, semafor.com, 15 Sep. 2026
As a reptile morphologist, Schwenk didn’t expect that the lure would include anything other than soft tissue.

— Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of lure

Verb

For her part, Clare isn’t thrilled when her mother badgers her about bringing her mysterious new boyfriend to dinner to finally meet the family.

— Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 21 Sep. 2026
The younger daughter was thrilled to be involved in picking the perfect shade of dusty pink for her bedroom—Benjamin Moore’s Sheraton Beige—and weighing in on the vintage bamboo headboard and reeded Alfred Newall bedside table.

— Alex Beggs, Architectural Digest, 21 Sep. 2026

Definition of thrill

Verb

Russian hybrid attacks are different from a traditional armed attack, but the alliance could theoretically trigger the collective defense clause in those cases.

— David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 19 Sep. 2026
The cortex is where the slow rhythms of deep sleep can be seen, but researchers assumed the signals that triggered them originated elsewhere.

— Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of trigger

Verb

In the case of Kim, agents found direct messages on his desktop computer between him and a minor victim in which the victim describes him allegedly assaulting her and beating her dog.

— Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2026
He is accused of assaulting a deputy before being taken into custody and faces charges including unlawful escape, resisting arrest, and assaulting a police officer.

— KC Baker, PEOPLE, 17 Sep. 2026

Definition of assault

Verb

What excites me is the competitive side of it having to make a move, back your decision and keep pushing yourself when the game shifts.

— Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 17 Sep. 2026
If Linde's earnings are growing this robustly while revenue barely grew, investors should be excited by the prospect of revenue acceleration over the next few years.

— Harvey Stober, CNBC, 15 Sep. 2026

Definition of excite

Verb

Gonzalez Reyes then returned to his vehicle and drove away with its police-style siren activated, investigators said.

— Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 22 Sep. 2026
Nicotine activates reward pathways in the brain, which can create a temporary sense of pleasure and well-being.

— Hasmeena Kathuria, The Conversation, 22 Sep. 2026

Definition of activate

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.

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turnoffs

turn (on)

turn-on

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“Turn (on).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/turn%20%28on%29. Accessed 24 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of turn (on)

verb (1)

noun

verb (2)

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