1
as in rotated
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 swung
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 deviated
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 became
to eventually have as a state or quality
will turn 12 in six months
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in revolved
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 pondered
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
9
as in convinced
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
as in off
Related Words
Dissimilar 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 turned
Rob Reischel, Forbes.com, 12 Sep. 2025
Arkansas defensive end Phillip Lee turned a question about the challenges Ole Miss presents into a reflection on what the Razorbacks are doing.
—Tom Murphy, Arkansas Online, 12 Sep. 2025
And the seat held by Republican Pat Toomey turned from red to blue.
—Kimberly Ross, The Washington Examiner, 12 Sep. 2025
Christy costars Ben Foster as Martin's manager-turned-husband James, initially depicted as loving and supportive (one shot shows Christy gleefully leaping into his arms after winning a match), but eventually revealed as possessive and dangerous.
—Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 11 Sep. 2025
Young turned the ball over three times.
—Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 11 Sep. 2025
The wild-eyed elk turned and trotted parallel to me.
—Jack Atcheson Sr. As Told To Michael Hanback, Outdoor Life, 11 Sep. 2025
Hubble’s discovery of the expanding Universe turned it into a serious idea.
—Ethan Siegel, Big Think, 11 Sep. 2025
But the Cowboys punted on their next two possessions and then turned it over on downs as the Eagles earned the win.
—Saad Yousuf, New York Times, 5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
But on just the third play of the fourth quarter, veteran tight end Zach Ertz turned a short pass in the flat into a 20-yard TD.
—Rob Reischel, Forbes.com, 12 Sep. 2025
Arkansas defensive end Phillip Lee turned a question about the challenges Ole Miss presents into a reflection on what the Razorbacks are doing.
—Tom Murphy, Arkansas Online, 12 Sep. 2025
And the seat held by Republican Pat Toomey turned from red to blue.
—Kimberly Ross, The Washington Examiner, 12 Sep. 2025
Christy costars Ben Foster as Martin's manager-turned-husband James, initially depicted as loving and supportive (one shot shows Christy gleefully leaping into his arms after winning a match), but eventually revealed as possessive and dangerous.
—Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 11 Sep. 2025
Young turned the ball over three times.
—Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 11 Sep. 2025
The wild-eyed elk turned and trotted parallel to me.
—Jack Atcheson Sr. As Told To Michael Hanback, Outdoor Life, 11 Sep. 2025
Hubble’s discovery of the expanding Universe turned it into a serious idea.
—Ethan Siegel, Big Think, 11 Sep. 2025
But the Cowboys punted on their next two possessions and then turned it over on downs as the Eagles earned the win.
—Saad Yousuf, New York Times, 5 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for turned
Verb
-
The tournament’s first weekend alone has seen sneakers, sandals and heels rotated courtside, positioning footwear as central to its off-court spotlight.—
Maggie Clancy,
Footwear News,
7 Sep. 2025
-
Once the screen’s fully rotated into portrait mode, the image adjusts accordingly.—
Scharon Harding,
ArsTechnica,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
For a locker room that’s been through a lot because the front office swung and missed on the worst quarterback trade in NFL history.—
Zac Jackson,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
-
Busta also received an assist from Papoose and Joyner Lucas, all of them sharing lyrical wordplay and seamless tradeoffs as Busta swung between his trademark dichotomy of rapping to gruff bellowing.—
Melissa Ruggieri,
USA Today,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The Princess of Wales has rarely deviated from her signature brunette tresses, often styled in a bouncy blowout, since marrying into the royal family in 2011.—
Janine Henni,
PEOPLE,
8 Sep. 2025
-
Which is why Mahomes played all of 48 seconds in the first two irrelevant games as Reid deviated from his customary inclination to play him most in the second-to-last rehearsal.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
23 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
This began all the way back in the 1960s when notable figures such as Jackie Kennedy and Georgia O’Keefe became fans of the brand.—
Stephan Rabimov,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
-
By the summer of 2022, systems like the Bayraktar TB2 became less effective as air defenses increased and commanders began spreading their forces apart.—
Joseph Nepomuceno,
The Washington Examiner,
13 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
For her take on enduring Grease style, Bieber revolved her going-out look around a boxy moto jacket—one of her signature wardrobe staples.—
Christian Allaire,
Vogue,
3 Sep. 2025
-
At first, the drone business revolved mainly around film crews and hobbyists.—
Adam Sarhan,
Forbes.com,
26 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
In her conversation with Interview, Peters pondered whether the next Great American Novelist could be trans.—
Grace Byron,
New Yorker,
8 Sep. 2025
-
National media and pundits pondered why a team would sell off Alan Pulido a year after signing him to a large extension and not commit to William Agada as the starter, as the two had somewhat similar chance and shot-creation numbers in 2024.—
Daniel Sperry,
Kansas City Star,
6 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
In the most extreme conditions imaginable, Shackleton understood that survival depended not just on rations and shelter but on morale, purpose and the mix of minds around him.—
Natalie Silverman,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
-
As The Athletic reported this week, an internal meeting was held to identify targets in the position, but no profile of player was agreed upon to pursue, and in any case any purchase depended on the sale of Dani Ceballos.—
Mario Cortegana,
New York Times,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Tales are spun and then immediately tied back up into knots, and its gothic drama provides a fresh new place for Johnson to play in his preferred genre.—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
6 Sep. 2025
-
Meer took the snap, rolled to his right and spun away from the pressure.—
David Delgado,
Oc Register,
6 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Turned.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/turned. Accessed 15 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share