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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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?
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of turning (on)
Literary Hub, 3 June 2026
Prioritize visibility Enhance your visibility in heavy rain by turning on your headlights.
—Bay Area Weather Report, Mercury News, 27 May 2026
The moose charged the woman and kicked her several times before turning on the dogs.
—Christa Swanson, CBS News, 27 May 2026
But the first of those hits was Andujar turning on a splitter and sending it into the seats beyond left field in the first inning.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 May 2026
Taylor caught a ball on a slant route and showed his burst of speed, turning on the afterburners to race to the end zone.
—Chris Hays, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 May 2026
Kirkwood Southern Style Crispy Fried Chicken Perhaps you, like me, avoid turning on the oven at all costs as soon as the temperature outside hits 85 degrees.
—Abigail Wilt, Southern Living, 27 Apr. 2026
Chavez and his aides repeatedly claimed that their critics are Communist or grower sympathizers who infiltrated the UFW before turning on it.
—Marcos Breton, Sacbee.com, 24 Mar. 2026
His comments caused a stir Wednesday from pro-Israel advocates who felt Newsom was turning on their interests.
—Lorraine Ali, Los Angeles Times, 4 Mar. 2026
Verb
Her stomach was already turning on her.
—Literary Hub, 3 June 2026
Prioritize visibility Enhance your visibility in heavy rain by turning on your headlights.
—Bay Area Weather Report, Mercury News, 27 May 2026
The moose charged the woman and kicked her several times before turning on the dogs.
—Christa Swanson, CBS News, 27 May 2026
But the first of those hits was Andujar turning on a splitter and sending it into the seats beyond left field in the first inning.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 May 2026
Taylor caught a ball on a slant route and showed his burst of speed, turning on the afterburners to race to the end zone.
—Chris Hays, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 May 2026
Kirkwood Southern Style Crispy Fried Chicken Perhaps you, like me, avoid turning on the oven at all costs as soon as the temperature outside hits 85 degrees.
—Abigail Wilt, Southern Living, 27 Apr. 2026
Chavez and his aides repeatedly claimed that their critics are Communist or grower sympathizers who infiltrated the UFW before turning on it.
—Marcos Breton, Sacbee.com, 24 Mar. 2026
His comments caused a stir Wednesday from pro-Israel advocates who felt Newsom was turning on their interests.
—Lorraine Ali, Los Angeles Times, 4 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for turning (on)
Verb
-
Rather than attacking all rapidly growing cells, as chemotherapy does, the drug targets a key cancer-driving pathway known as KRAS, which is involved in more than 90% of pancreatic tumors.—
Luzdelia Caballero,
CBS News,
5 June 2026
-
Akindahunsi is accused of attacking several women the night of May 28.—
Summer Lin,
Los Angeles Times,
4 June 2026
Verb
-
The Vegas Golden Knights have taken Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final, erasing the Carolina Hurricanes' early 2-0 lead to win a thrilling 5-4 game in Raleigh and set the tone for this best-of-seven series.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
3 June 2026
-
The scene was genuinely awful to watch, but the movie—a story of plague, passion, period costumes, and an unwashed man in a tunic skipping town to cure writer’s block—ended up thrilling us; the portrayal of two creative minds working together (and apart) was, oddly, familiar.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
2 June 2026
Verb
-
The economic strain is triggering a broader pullback in consumer spending and retail traffic.—
Arthur Zaczkiewicz,
Footwear News,
4 June 2026
-
MacDougall also argued that directing the drug to work on one tooth specifically may not be possible, potentially triggering unwanted tooth growth across several teeth.—
Victor Tangermann,
Futurism,
4 June 2026
Verb
-
While federal law dictates up to 20 years in prison or assaulting pilots or flight attendants, there is no nationwide standard for public transit operators.—
Caitlin McGlade,
Charlotte Observer,
4 June 2026
-
John Gotti's grandson, Carmine Gotti Agnello, was arrested Wednesday for allegedly assaulting a woman, Nassau County Police said.—
Jesse Zanger,
CBS News,
4 June 2026
Verb
-
Major Wilson, 17, has been around horses most of his life and now spends much of his time helping younger riders get ready, showing them how to saddle their horses without exciting them.—
Jhair Romero,
Houston Chronicle,
26 Feb. 2026
-
For Harrington and her husband Dante, the thought of triplets was shocking but exciting all the same.—
Daniella Gray,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
By activating its regional proxy, the Houthis in Yemen, Iran could orchestrate the closure of the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, blocking another vital artery connecting major trade routes between Europe, Asia and the Arab world.—
CNN Staff,
CNN Money,
29 May 2026
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That means activating our downtown with farmers markets, cultural events, outdoor gatherings, and community programming that gives residents a reason to be there.—
Mercury News Editorial Board,
Mercury News,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
Even rural birds manage to find some human items, most likely by raiding farm bins or garages.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
2 June 2026
-
At 13-years-old, Blue Ivy Carter is already raiding one of the best closets in the game.—
Alex Apatoff,
PEOPLE,
31 May 2026
Verb
-
The Rockies scored five runs in the ninth on a three-run home run by Hunter Goodman and a walk-off, two-run homer by Ezequiel Tovar to shock the Giants in an electrifying 8-6 win at Coors Field.—
Patrick Saunders,
Denver Post,
30 May 2026
-
Club officials envisioned a trade for Ohtani as transformative, elevating their team to a legitimate World Series contender, electrifying their dormant market.—
Ken Rosenthal,
The Orlando Sentinel,
29 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Turning (on).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/turning%20%28on%29. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
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