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turn (on) 1 of 3

verb (1)

Definition of turn (on)next
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

turn on

3 of 3

verb (2)

1
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to trigger
to cause to function would you turn on the TV?

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for turn (on)
  1. attack
  2. lure
  3. thrill
  4. trigger
  5. assault
  6. temptation
  7. excite
  8. activate
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
  • Georgia Tech engineers have developed a wireless networking system that lets tiny implants communicate through body tissue, potentially allowing sensors in one part of the body to trigger treatment somewhere else.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Rather than simply flagging when a live stream has broken, Pixentinel aims to determine where a failure originated supplu evidence to the diagnosis and, where possible, automatically trigger a response.
    — Callum McLennan, Variety, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of trigger
Verb
  • During a recent walk-through with city officials, an encampment resident asked for help after witnessing people entering the encampment and assaulting and robbing residents.
    — Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 24 Sep. 2026
  • Police said three people were charged with assaulting an emergency worker during the demonstration.
    — Jill Lawless, Los Angeles Times, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of assault
Noun
  • Not to mention the agonizing months of watching the new hair grow in, every day fighting the temptation to go back to blonde or brunette.
    — Maggie Ryan, Flow Space, 25 Sep. 2026
  • There is still one temptation Remm is still trying to resist.
    — Clara Molot, Vanity Fair, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of temptation
Verb
  • Boring Company signals its interest TBC would be excited and honored to build this massive infrastructure project.
    — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 22 Sep. 2026
  • The hunt for the next big thing is still what excites many in the industry, said EOG’s Yacob.
    — Jordan Blum, Fortune, 19 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.

Browse Nearby Words

turnoffs
turn (on)
turn-on
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Turn (on).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/turn%20%28on%29. Accessed 27 Sep. 2026.

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