1
as in relinquishing
to give (something) over to the control or possession of another usually under duress
reluctantly turned the ship over to the first mate while he went below to try to stop the leak
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in leaving
to put (something) into the possession or safekeeping of another
turned the evidence over to the police
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in turning turtle
to turn on one's side or upside down
don't try to tell me the bucket turned over all by itself
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in flipping
to change the position of (an object) so that the opposite side or end is showing
would you mind turning the picture over so I can see if the backing needs to be replaced
Synonyms & Similar 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 turning over
Nurse had Philadelphia trapping throughout the floor, and that led to Sacramento missing shots and turning over the basketball.
—
Tony Jones, New York Times, 30 Jan. 2026
His team sits just a half-game out of second place in the East after turning over half of its rotation this offseason.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 4 Jan. 2026
Billups was released from custody under the conditions of turning over his passport, not contacting any of the 30-plus co-defendants charged, and not participating in any gambling activity.
—Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 24 Oct. 2025
Chapell relented, turning over his phone and divulging his passcode.
—Jesse Hyde, Rolling Stone, 21 Oct. 2025
By a conservative estimate, the Kinahans were turning over tens of millions of dollars annually.
—Ed Caesar, New Yorker, 20 Oct. 2025
La Gritona is proudly additive-free and always prioritizes sustainability, turning over its agave remnants to local farmers for cattle feed.
—Carley Rojas Ávila, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
The anecdote came up as part of a larger conversation Barrymore was having with her audience that day about turning over a new page after turning 50 earlier this year.
—Emlyn Travis, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Sep. 2025
Both McLaurin and Hendrickson were subject of major speculation in New England all summer, as Mike Vrabel has been in the process of turning over the Patriots' roster.
—Michael Hurley, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Aug. 2025
Tony Jones, New York Times, 30 Jan. 2026
His team sits just a half-game out of second place in the East after turning over half of its rotation this offseason.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 4 Jan. 2026
Billups was released from custody under the conditions of turning over his passport, not contacting any of the 30-plus co-defendants charged, and not participating in any gambling activity.
—Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 24 Oct. 2025
Chapell relented, turning over his phone and divulging his passcode.
—Jesse Hyde, Rolling Stone, 21 Oct. 2025
By a conservative estimate, the Kinahans were turning over tens of millions of dollars annually.
—Ed Caesar, New Yorker, 20 Oct. 2025
La Gritona is proudly additive-free and always prioritizes sustainability, turning over its agave remnants to local farmers for cattle feed.
—Carley Rojas Ávila, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
The anecdote came up as part of a larger conversation Barrymore was having with her audience that day about turning over a new page after turning 50 earlier this year.
—Emlyn Travis, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Sep. 2025
Both McLaurin and Hendrickson were subject of major speculation in New England all summer, as Mike Vrabel has been in the process of turning over the Patriots' roster.
—Michael Hurley, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for turning over
Verb
-
The Buffalo Bills lasted seven weeks in the pole position before relinquishing the title to the Kansas City Chiefs.—
Scott Phillips,
New York Times,
5 Jan. 2026
-
Hamas has shown no signs of relinquishing power or its weapons.—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
30 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
The Browns moved to Baltimore and became the Ravens under the cover of darkness, essentially leaving the entirety of the franchise in the city.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Indian markets are under pressure across assets, with stocks, the rupee and bonds all weakening, leaving investors banking on the budget to reset sentiment.—
Ashutosh Joshi,
Bloomberg,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
In an industry built on the constant churn of buying and flipping companies for a profit, Vestar’s future is in question.—
Hank Tucker,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
-
The stock has been choppy all Wednesday, flipping between gains and losses.—
Jeff Marks,
CNBC,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
However, while trying to confront grief with a sense of mischief, the movie’s impish tonal approach takes the sting out of death a little too often, rendering its catharsis null.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Variety,
23 Jan. 2026
-
Initially, Riot reported substantial financial enhancements in its core mining operations, rendering the company much more profitable compared to earlier mining downturns.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
An attack on Greenland would shatter NATO, handing a strategic victory to Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin as the world's most successful defensive alliance collapses.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
22 Jan. 2026
-
In the 40th minute, Evan Vaden buried a header into the top left corner of the net off an excellent ball from Lucas Petersen, handing Mission Bay a 1-0 lead heading into halftime.—
Clark Fahrenthold,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Taking an unprecedented approach to using the relatively novel Congressional Review Act, the House voted 214-208 in favor of overturning a 20-year mining moratorium that was established in 2023.—
Christine Peterson,
Outdoor Life,
21 Jan. 2026
-
Francesca Nadin of Prisoners for Palestine said the hunger strikers’ case – and growing support for overturning the ban on Palestine Action – reflect intensifying public concern over the right to free speech.—
Kara Fox,
CNN Money,
14 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
This week, Rodriguez signed a law overhauling the nation's oil sector, opening it to privatization and reversing a core policy of the socialist government that has ruled Venezuela for more than two decades.—
Louis Casiano,
FOXNews.com,
31 Jan. 2026
-
However, developments such as the Vanguard announcement appear to be reversing that trajectory.—
Matthew Kayser,
Freep.com,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The last time Ohtani took the mound was in Game 4 of the National League Championship Series, turning in a sterling six innings, allowing two hits and striking out 10 batters.—
Kyle Feldscher,
CNN Money,
28 Oct. 2025
-
The second writer on the Billitier project never saw a dime, despite turning in a treatment that would normally earn him a WGA minimum of $50,000.—
Steve Belanger,
HollywoodReporter,
23 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Turning over.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/turning%20over. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
