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
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Recent Examples of turning points
However, the full moon in Leo on February 1 is pointing to turning points in your career or status this month, and the eclipse in Aquarius on February 17 strongly suggests that this new beginning will involve changes to your domestic life, living situation, and family.
—
Steph Koyfman, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Jan. 2026
Economically and socially, conversations around value, resources, sustainability, and wealth distribution may reach turning points.
—Dossé-Via Trenou, Refinery29, 29 Jan. 2026
Almost half of those turning points are driven by external shocks rather than internal execution failures.
—Benjamin Laker, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026
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
Steph Koyfman, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Jan. 2026
Economically and socially, conversations around value, resources, sustainability, and wealth distribution may reach turning points.
—Dossé-Via Trenou, Refinery29, 29 Jan. 2026
Almost half of those turning points are driven by external shocks rather than internal execution failures.
—Benjamin Laker, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for turning points
Noun
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Now Tomasso carves out time every month to handwrite letters to workers, like cooks and dishwashers, who are celebrating major career milestones.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
30 Mar. 2026
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Other milestones include higher qubit counts — which increase the potential size and complexity of problems a quantum computer can represent and help solve — and coherence times, which allow more reliable computations by reducing the impact of noise and errors.—
Dylan Butts,Matthew Chin,
CNBC,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Anderson is here for the melodrama, the special lessons and the climaxes that fall flat.—
Jessica Lipsky,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2026
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The band has never sounded this melodic before; Wroth in particular brings a constant dynamism to his guitar solos, often layering two and reaching climaxes that refuse to collapse into just a flurry of notes, building off Phantom Slaughter’s keyboard melodies with a real sense of drama.—
Sam Goldner,
Pitchfork,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Each year, Heal the Bay collects trash from beaches and watersheds across Los Angeles County with the help of thousands of volunteers.—
CBS LA Staff,
CBS News,
28 Mar. 2026
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Without rain in the forecast for the next seven days, the extreme drought that has gripped the Interstate 35 corridor, including the Austin metro area, parts of the Texas Hill Country and much of the region's watersheds is likely to not only persist but also intensify.—
Roberto Villalpando,
Austin American Statesman,
21 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Indeed, few foreigners leave without being enraptured by a fascinating cultural tapestry which lives on in old-world architectural landmarks and century-spanning festivals.—
Condé Nast Traveler,
Condé Nast Traveler,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Niagara Falls in New York is one of the most recognizable natural landmarks in the world.—
Lauren Schuster,
Kansas City Star,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The six-part thriller tells the story of a Swiss gold dealer who becomes entangled in the darkest corners of the global gold trade.—
Ed Meza,
Variety,
24 Mar. 2026
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Safeties coach Will Harris also is working with the corners.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
24 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Turning points.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/turning%20points. Accessed 31 Mar. 2026.
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