as in attacking
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in thrilling
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 triggering
to cause to function
would you turn on the TV?
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of turning (on)
Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 6 Sep. 2025
Simple no-cost steps include turning on Night Shift, while buying blue light glasses is a relatively inexpensive alternative to investing in a costly new eye-friendly display that NaturaSynth may one day make obsolete.
—PC Magazine, 5 Sep. 2025
The trigger for my tears was turning on a light switch in my California home.
—Keith Sharon, The Tennessean, 29 Aug. 2025
They must also be protected from accidentally turning on in your luggage.
—Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 28 Aug. 2025
This study suggests that the brain’s recollection of cold can act as a switch, turning on the metabolic furnace of brown fat even when the surrounding air is mild.
—William A. Haseltine, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2025
But not all fall goodies mean bundling up in a sweater, turning on the fire, or sweating your way through a pumpkin patch.
—Abigail Wilt, Southern Living, 5 Aug. 2025
Kaʻiana fought alongside Kamehameha before eventually turning on him, with Kaʻiana ultimately not living to see the unification.
—Christopher Rudolph, People.com, 4 Aug. 2025
Verb
Freezing your credit, turning on alerts and keeping an eye on medical and financial accounts give you back some control.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 6 Sep. 2025
Simple no-cost steps include turning on Night Shift, while buying blue light glasses is a relatively inexpensive alternative to investing in a costly new eye-friendly display that NaturaSynth may one day make obsolete.
—PC Magazine, 5 Sep. 2025
The trigger for my tears was turning on a light switch in my California home.
—Keith Sharon, The Tennessean, 29 Aug. 2025
They must also be protected from accidentally turning on in your luggage.
—Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 28 Aug. 2025
This study suggests that the brain’s recollection of cold can act as a switch, turning on the metabolic furnace of brown fat even when the surrounding air is mild.
—William A. Haseltine, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2025
But not all fall goodies mean bundling up in a sweater, turning on the fire, or sweating your way through a pumpkin patch.
—Abigail Wilt, Southern Living, 5 Aug. 2025
Kaʻiana fought alongside Kamehameha before eventually turning on him, with Kaʻiana ultimately not living to see the unification.
—Christopher Rudolph, People.com, 4 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Turning (on).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/turning%20%28on%29. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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