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

Relevance

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
  • Somebody years ago should have realized NSA Bahrain could be attacked, its air defense might fail and it could be disabled in a long war.
    — John Seiler, Oc Register, 25 Aug. 2026
  • The meeting was not received well by many Democrats, who attacked Jeffries over it.
    — Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of attack
Noun
  • The lure drew thousands of crews to Hengdian last year to shoot projects in and around the sprawling Hengdian World Studios.
    — Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 22 Aug. 2026
  • The lure of both the flower that the fly feeds on, and the female fly herself, proves a powerful combination for the male.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of lure
Verb
  • The corner lot on which Pinky had sat for the past hundred years was now some of the most desirable real estate in Los Angeles, and its new owner, who had other plans for the land, was thrilled to sell the house for a dollar.
    — Nicola Twilley, New Yorker, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Walmart has long resisted calls from shoppers to add tap to pay to its payment options – so shoppers on social media were thrilled to learn about the company's decision.
    — Gabe Hauari, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of thrill
Verb
  • The executions, announced Sunday, triggered condemnations by rights groups in the North African country that is divided between rival administrations, each backed by a set of militias and foreign governments.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 Aug. 2026
  • The article suggests a one-time California levy is unlikely to trigger a billionaire stampede.
    — Teresa Ghilarducci, Forbes.com, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of trigger
Verb
  • Scott and Dylan walked away from faculty members and the video production crew and and Scott allegedly assaulted her in a janitor’s closet.
    — Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026
  • The reality star and superyacht bosun’s statement comes after Rolling Stone reported last week that he was arrested in Australia last December for assaulting an unnamed 29-year-old woman at a Sydney-area apartment complex.
    — Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of assault
Noun
  • But once those opportunities have been funded, management should resist the temptation to pursue lower-quality projects simply to use available cash.
    — Robert Daugherty, Forbes.com, 23 Aug. 2026
  • General manager Ryan Johnson, however, should avoid that temptation.
    — Thomas Drance, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of temptation
Verb
  • The promise excited Ralph Gonzalez and Christine Munoz, who own the city's first gastropub, Newhall Refinery.
    — Nicole Comstock, CBS News, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Parton was excited and taken aback by the new version of her song.
    — Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of excite
Verb
  • Several other brands have activated during high-stakes competitions and inked their own collaborations that tap into the convergence of beauty and sports this year.
    — Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Ars Video When activated, Motion Assist adds small dots around the edges of your phone screen over top of the content.
    — Ryan Whitwam, ArsTechnica, 25 Aug. 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
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Cite this Entry

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

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