as in milestones
a point in a chain of events at which an important change (as in one's fortunes) occurs
the turning point came when Victor finally admitted he was a werewolf
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Recent Examples of turning points
The Eras Tour Brain scans of thousands of people revealed that the human brain has five distinct eras, with turning points in the way it is organized occurring at age nine, 32, 66 and 83.
—
Allison Parshall, Scientific American, 18 Dec. 2025
There are turning points in just about every campaign like this and Ireland’s came in September with their humbling 2-1 defeat by 10-man Armenia, ranked 105th in the world, 45 places below them.
—Patrick Boyland, New York Times, 19 Nov. 2025
Those relationships, even small ones, can be turning points.
—Laura Rivera, Denver Post, 23 Oct. 2025
There were a number of turning points that went against the Chiefs.
—Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 7 Oct. 2025
These are the kinds of turning points that make flexibility essential.
—Hillary Stalker, Nashville Tennessean, 2 Oct. 2025
Inspired by the familiar red, yellow and green signals that guide drivers on the road, this framework can help couples navigate the daily choices and turning points that shape their relationship.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025
Allison Parshall, Scientific American, 18 Dec. 2025
There are turning points in just about every campaign like this and Ireland’s came in September with their humbling 2-1 defeat by 10-man Armenia, ranked 105th in the world, 45 places below them.
—Patrick Boyland, New York Times, 19 Nov. 2025
Those relationships, even small ones, can be turning points.
—Laura Rivera, Denver Post, 23 Oct. 2025
There were a number of turning points that went against the Chiefs.
—Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 7 Oct. 2025
These are the kinds of turning points that make flexibility essential.
—Hillary Stalker, Nashville Tennessean, 2 Oct. 2025
Inspired by the familiar red, yellow and green signals that guide drivers on the road, this framework can help couples navigate the daily choices and turning points that shape their relationship.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for turning points
Noun
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No payout unless extraordinary milestones are reached that would benefit all of Tesla’s owners and humanity at large.—
Shane Goodwin,
Fortune,
8 Jan. 2026
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Turner has many exciting milestones to look forward to this year, both personally and professionally.—
Skyler Caruso,
PEOPLE,
8 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Thus a wonderful section on The Jew of Malta climaxes in an unfortunate vision of the text as a secret message to Lord Strange, a wealthy and important patron of the arts.—
Isaac Butler,
The Atlantic,
3 Nov. 2025
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Audition is a slow burn, spending the better part of two hours setting up audiences for arguably one of the most graphic climaxes in horror history.—
Steven Thrash,
Entertainment Weekly,
19 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The rainfall melted a significant amount of snow in mountain watersheds, which contributed to the flooding in Washington state.—
Alejandro N. Flores,
The Conversation,
8 Jan. 2026
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The team installed beaver-style dams across the Cache la Poudre and Willow Creek watersheds — both burned in the 2020 wildfires — to help slow water flow and instead spread the water over a floodplain.—
Elise Schmelzer,
Denver Post,
30 Dec. 2025
Noun
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Will MrBeast and Bella Poarch one day have landmarks dedicated to their legacies?—
Oren Peleg,
HollywoodReporter,
9 Nov. 2025
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One of South Nashville’s longstanding cultural landmarks is poised for a sale in the coming weeks.—
Hadley Hitson,
Nashville Tennessean,
7 Nov. 2025
Noun
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His popularity in other corners was evident in an October appearance on The View, in which cohost Whoopi Goldberg had to reprimand the audience for shouting out too many supportive exclamations.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
6 Jan. 2026
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All that oomph is split between all four corners by a seven-speed dual-clutch S-Tronic gearbox.—
Bryan Hood,
Robb Report,
6 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Turning points.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/turning%20points. Accessed 10 Jan. 2026.
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