turns 1 of 2

present tense third-person singular of turn
1
as in rotates
to move (something) in a curved or circular path on or as if on an axis turned the doorknob as quietly as possible

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Relevance
2
3
as in deviates
to change one's course or direction we turned left at the light the storm unexpectedly turned south and missed our area

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4
5
6
7
as in depends
to be determined by, based on, or subject (to) what we do next turns on your answer to the following question

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8
as in spins
to be in a confused state as if from being twirled around all the new information made his head turn

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

9
as in convinces
to cause to have often negative opinions formed without sufficient knowledge he did his best to turn his new friends against his ex-wife

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turns

2 of 2

noun

plural of turn
1
2
3
4
5
as in bouts
a sudden experiencing of a physical or mental disorder a sudden turn of dizziness that may have been brought on by a change in her medication

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6
as in acts
a performance regularly presented by an individual or group between the show's two major musical acts, there was a short turn by a juggling troupe

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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 turns
Verb
This exchange turns into Luann fully spiraling out, screaming about Porsha being two hours late to anybody who would listen. — Tom Smyth, Vulture, 28 Sep. 2026 The Hurricanes have been far from perfect as September turns into October. — Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 27 Sep. 2026 Miller turns her attention back to Kaczynski’s brother, David Kaczynski (Matthew Kevin Anderson), who originally tipped the FBI off. — Jane Lacroix, PEOPLE, 26 Sep. 2026 That houseplant turns into a statement piece, no repotting necessary. — Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 26 Sep. 2026 Their battles for influence, image and desire, in a Spain on the brink of collapse, are observed and narrated with fierce irony by Francisco de Goya, an uneasy witness who turns palace intrigue into a surprisingly contemporary mirror. — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 26 Sep. 2026 But the seemingly harmless weekend turns into a game of manipulation, and power games. — Annika Pham, Variety, 25 Sep. 2026 In previous decades, Iran’s turns at the United Nations General Assembly have garnered attention, but under the shadow of war, this year’s visit became the main event. — Mostafa Salem, CNN Money, 25 Sep. 2026 Nancy, who turns 49 in December, gets how to fire up the SEC base. — Joe Kinsey Outkick, FOXNews.com, 20 Sep. 2026
Noun
Even though Winkler is in Murphy’s inner circle, the creator is constantly full of surprises, as Murphy takes unexpected turns. — William Earl, Variety, 25 Sep. 2026 But Pattinson is also surrounded by marvelous turns from Merritt Wever, Skyler Gisondo, and Phoebe Bridgers as Lance Oppenheim’s drama dives into the series’ uneasy ascent to must-watch TV. — Savannah Salazar, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2026 There’s also a parade of comic supporting turns that recalls those classic Hawks and Sturges comedies in the breadth and depth of the character actors Cassavetes employs. — Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 23 Sep. 2026 Day-Lewis went on to win two Academy Awards for his turns as Daniel Plainview in There Will Be Blood (2007) and the titular president in Lincoln (2012). — Brianna Zigler, Entertainment Weekly, 23 Sep. 2026 The front end simply carves into turns with the slightest shift of body position, leaning over willingly enough to eliminate conscious thought and hesitation right out of the gate. — Michael Van Runkle, Robb Report, 21 Sep. 2026 Turn calming is when intersections are reconfigured to reduce turning speeds and sharp turns. — D. Alex Quistberg, The Conversation, 21 Sep. 2026 That’s because the tight turns and circles could result in a crash if all helicopters remain in pursuit. — Los Angeles Times, 19 Sep. 2026 Yana Radeva, shockingly a first-time actor, is quietly commanding as Veska, suggesting entire histories without spelling them out, while Grisebach’s documentary-like naturalism makes even the film’s strangest turns feel oddly plausible. — Taylor Antrim, Vogue, 19 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for turns
Verb
  • The White House pool, which rotates daily, is composed of a small group of reporters given close face-to-face access to the president during events.
    — Joey Garrison, USA Today, 22 Sep. 2026
  • This matter rotates in the same direction as the central young star, meaning planets that may emerge shuld also rotate in the same direction.
    — Robert Lea, Space.com, 22 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Locally, the impact will be felt mostly within its circles where sentiment swings on the outcome of the next football game.
    — Mac Engel September 24, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Sep. 2026
  • Spider-Man swings across the skyline, saves the city and disappears before anyone can ask him to explain himself.
    — Nicole DuBois, Forbes.com, 23 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Her position deviates from her religion as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which publicly opposes the ballot measure.
    — Kevin Fixler, Idaho Statesman, 25 Sep. 2026
  • But just like in the series’ preceding season, The Ed Gein Story, this one deviates from its titular character to pad itself out.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • After some back and forth about who was in the wrong, the conversation ultimately becomes about Vicki continuing to put herself on an island and keep everybody at a distance.
    — Tom Smyth, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Body becomes the network SWANS works by sending electrical pulses through surrounding tissue.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 25 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Lialina’s practice as an artist and archivist revolves the uneven promises of permanence, loss, maintenance, and distribution that the internet, in its many formats and phases, represents.
    — Shanti Escalante-De Mattei, ARTnews.com, 14 Sep. 2026
  • Repayment happens as customers settle their invoices, and the facility essentially revolves, with fresh invoices replacing those that have been paid off.
    — Amit Singhania, Forbes.com, 14 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • As is often the case in both real life and the movies, this modern millennial lady ponders this very question all the time.
    — Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 13 Sep. 2026
  • Nacua, who expects to play against the 49ers as the NFL ponders a potential suspension for violating the league’s personal conduct policy, returned to practice last week.
    — Benjamin Royer, Oc Register, 8 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • The size of the gravel used in your patching material depends on the thickness of the patch.
    — Tim Carter, Hartford Courant, 26 Sep. 2026
  • The spreadsheet that one person understands, saved on one laptop, holding together a process the whole company depends on.
    — Jeremy Bradley-Silverio Donato, Forbes.com, 25 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Calvin Harris spins his way to more records, this time in Australia where his forthcoming tour has shifted more than 330,000 tickets.
    — Lars Brandle, Billboard, 25 Sep. 2026
  • There’s so many new ideas surfacing constantly that my head spins.
    — Rachel DeSantis, PEOPLE, 18 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Turns.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/turns. Accessed 2 Oct. 2026.

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