Synonyms of turning

turning 1 of 2

adjective

as in turned

Related Words

• turned
• twisting
• twisted
• warped
• swirled
• rounded
• veering
• entwined
• bending
• winding
• spiral
• kinked
• curved
• twined
• spiraling
• bowed
• curving
• curled
• twining
• curling
• coiling
• looping
• wavy
• coiled
• looped
• weaving
• corkscrew
• serpentine
• sinuous
• meandering
• zigzag
• devious
• zigzagging
• crooked

Dissimilar Words

• direct
• straight
• right
• linear
• straightforward
• straightaway
• unswerving
• untwisted
• uncurled
• undeviating
• unbent

turning

2 of 2

verb

present participle of turn

1

as in rotating

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

• rotating
• spinning
• twisting
• twirling
• swinging
• swirling
• rolling
• swiveling
• whirling
• revolving
• pivoting
• wheeling
• screwing
• winding
• cranking
• unscrewing
• reeling
• circulating
• coiling
• twiddling

2

as in swinging

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

• swinging
• whipping
• shifting
• diverting
• veering
• deflecting
• redirecting
• moving
• whirling
• wheeling
• switching
• twisting
• swiveling
• deviating
• averting
• shunting
• reversing
• transferring
• zigzagging
• swaying
• curving
• swerving
• bending
• rechanneling
• sidetracking
• turning back

3

as in deviating

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

• deviating
• swinging
• veering
• diverging
• detouring
• swerving
• turning off
• wheeling
• tacking
• zigzagging
• sheering
• turning back
• doubling (back)

4

as in becoming

to eventually have as a state or quality

will turn 12 in six months

Synonyms & Similar Words

• becoming
• growing
• getting
• going
• coming
• running
• transforming
• changing
• altering
• waxing
• modifying
• transmuting
• metamorphosing
• mutating
• transfiguring

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• being
• remaining
• continuing
• staying
• lingering
• abiding

5

as in revolving

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

• rotating
• revolving
• spinning
• rolling
• twirling
• circling
• curling
• whirling
• gyrating
• curving
• pirouetting
• twisting
• winding
• swirling
• wheeling
• pinwheeling
• spiraling
• coiling
• rounding
• ringing
• pivoting
• twining
• circulating
• encircling
• orbiting
• swiveling

6

as in contemplating

to give serious and careful thought to

turned the question every which way but could find no answer

Synonyms & Similar Words

• contemplating
• pondering
• debating
• considering
• studying
• entertaining
• weighing
• eyeing
• exploring
• questioning
• analyzing
• reviewing
• deliberating
• ruminating
• revolving
• looking at
• cogitating
• meditating
• wrestling (with)
• thinking (about or over)
• chewing on
• mulling (over)
• poring (over)
• perpending
• chewing over
• digesting
• reflecting (on or upon)
• beating one's brains out (about)
• kicking around
• believing
• reminiscing
• cudgeling one's brains (about)
• reasoning
• musing (upon)
• opining
• absorbing
• assimilating
• concluding
• dwelling (on or upon)
• conceiving
• fixating (on or upon)
• speculating (about)
• brooding (about or over)
• drinking (in)
• fretting (about or over)
• obsessing (about or over)
• second-guessing

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• ignoring
• disregarding
• overlooking
• dismissing
• rejecting
• slighting
• pooh-poohing

7

as in depending

to be determined by, based on, or subject (to)

what we do next turns on your answer to the following question

Synonyms & Similar Words

• depending
• hanging
• hinging
• riding
• basing
• establishing
• resting
• staying
• founding
• grounding

8

as in spinning

to be in a confused state as if from being twirled around

all the new information made his head turn

Synonyms & Similar Words

• spinning
• swimming
• whirling
• reeling
• swirling

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• collecting
• settling
• calming
• steadying

9

as in persuading

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

• persuading
• convincing
• biasing
• influencing
• prejudicing
• disposing
• inclining
• poisoning
• predisposing
• suggesting
• prepossessing

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of turning

Verb

Write the honest sentence, take the quiet walk, and tell the truth without decorating it for comfort or turning it into a joke today. — Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 3 Aug. 2026

If a state takes a position contrary to Beijing’s interests, China can tighten the screws on it by withholding spare parts, software updates, and technicians, turning a commercial partnership into a tool of leverage. — Natalia Cote-Muñoz, Foreign Affairs, 3 Aug. 2026

Signs pothos needs pruning include the vines are too long, the plant puts out fewer leaves, or the leaves are turning yellow. — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 3 Aug. 2026

Its visual intelligence spans being able to understand hundred-page documents, television series, or 100-hour livestreams and turning them into searchable, interactive knowledge hubs. — Sawdah Bhaimiya, CNBC, 3 Aug. 2026

His daughter would be turning one in February, and the family was planning a big celebration. — Alexis Okeowo, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2026

That starts early, with Lily accusing Sam of turning her and Zac into an all-Asian team to compete against the whites. — Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 28 July 2026

While these signings rarely generate major headlines immediately, the Dodgers have developed a reputation for turning under-the-radar acquisitions into legitimate prospects. — Peter Chawaga, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026

These act like a lid on a pot, trapping hot air and turning the landscape tinder dry, priming it for the fires that are still raging in both countries. — Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 28 July 2026

Phrases Containing turning

• turning point