TURNS Synonyms: 343 Similar and Opposite Words

turns 1 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of turn

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in swings

to change the course or direction of (something) the dog turned the stampeding flock of sheep around he turned his cart uphill

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in becomes

to eventually have as a state or quality will turn 12 in six months

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in revolves

to move in circles around an axis or center the wheels turned, but the car was hopelessly stuck and wasn't moving

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in ponders

to give serious and careful thought to turned the question every which way but could find no answer

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in depends

to be determined by, based on, or subject (to) what we do next turns on your answer to the following question

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in spins

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

turns

2 of 2

noun

plural of turn

as in walks

a relaxed journey on foot for exercise or pleasure would you care to take a turn around the garden?

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in services

an act of kind assistance one good turn deserves another

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in tendencies

a habitual attraction to some activity or thing an adventurous turn of mind that led him toward more physical activities like biking and skateboarding

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in bends

something that curves or is curved right after this turn in the road you'll find the antiques shop on the right

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

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 turns

Verb

The policy semantics and how a mandate propagates once delegation turns multi-hop, machine-initiated and cross-organizational remain implementation problems. — Dr. Aditya Vikram Kashyap, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2026 Killceañera, which turns a quinceañera into an event in which a teen takes revenge on her bullies, will feature an outdoor performer lip-syncing a song co-written by Murdy and Slash from a balcony. — Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2026 Once an account is established, parents, guardians, grandparents and others can also contribute up to $5,000 per year until the year before the beneficiary turns 18. — Jessica Dickler, CNBC, 31 Aug. 2026 For months, online ads have been peppering audiences with glimpses of Buddy, a ’90s children’s TV unicorn who turns creepy and murderous in what IndieWire called way back at Sundance the first great Midnight Movie of 2026. — Brian Welk, IndieWire, 31 Aug. 2026 Frank haplessly worships Blanche and turns Luciano into a surrogate son. — David Denby, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026 Ask who owns what, adjust the timeline, and make one practical fix before momentum turns messy. — Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 26 Aug. 2026 Conversations about the ethics of true crime storytelling persist in the space, especially with critics who claim that the genre turns pain into product and entertainment. — Matt Minton, Variety, 25 Aug. 2026 At the point when Ryan Gravenberch receives the ball, turns smartly and begins carrying into space, there are a few things to notice. — Jon MacKenzie, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026

Noun

Here’s a story from 1985 that explains Williams’ journey and the twists and turns. — Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026 Together, Jaybush, Brad Chambers, and the American Heavy Moving team figured out a route through the city that avoided street trees, tight turns, and roads that run above old, fragile sewer pipes, which aren’t rated for heavy loads. — Nicola Twilley, New Yorker, 27 Aug. 2026 Three Fall Must-Dos Cruise one of the most underrated fall drives in the US—the Peter Norbeck Scenic Byway, encompassing winding Needles Highway in Custer State Park and Iron Mountain Road, famous for its 300-plus hairpin turns. — Taryn Shorr-McKee, Midwest Living, 26 Aug. 2026 Out in Montauk, some 100 miles (160 kilometers) east of Manhattan, Suse Lowenstein has tried to stay out of the twists and turns of the criminal case. — ABC News, 25 Aug. 2026 The twists and turns of the Iran war, six months in, should come as no surprise. — Susan Page, USA Today, 25 Aug. 2026 Others get there through divorce, widowhood or the unexpected turns life takes. — Angie O’Leary, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026 Anderson has garnered critical and mainstream acclaim in recent years thanks to dramatic and comedic turns including The Last Showgirl — which got her a Golden Globe nomination — and the Naked Gun reboot from Paramount. — Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 21 Aug. 2026 The supporting cast is also aces, with excellent turns from Samantha Morton, Colin Farrell, Max Von Sydow, Lois Smith, and many more. — Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 21 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for turns

Verb

Investor attention is currently shifting toward a growing divergence within technology equities, as market capital rotates away from mega-cap tech giants and into the AI infrastructure supply chain.

— , CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
Traveling at roughly one mile per second, the LRO orbits from pole to pole every two hours as the moon rotates on its own course about 60 miles below the spacecraft.

— Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of rotates

Verb

Walsh’s spaceship deviates from many of the vessels seen in Star Wars, as those ships are often dirty and grubby to emphasize their use and wear.

— Rachel Raposas, PEOPLE, 10 Aug. 2026
And the days are coming when AI is meaningfully involved in clinical care, beyond just transcribing our own words, and the follow-up recommendation deviates from the standard of care.

— Frances Mei Hardin, STAT, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of deviates

Verb

In the movie, a local brothel — the Devil’s Playhouse — becomes the target of a TV preacher, forcing the town’s sheriff, who happens to be a frequent customer, to save it.

— Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Aug. 2026
Still, with the right conditions, getting close to beds without bumping deer becomes much easier.

— Josh Honeycutt, Outdoor Life, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of becomes

Verb

While Tavares coach Gavin Jones ponders how to replace 18 transfer players heading into the season, just down Route 441, new Eustis coach Tanner Harris is pumping some energy into a program that has had four coaches in three years.

— Chris Hays, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 Aug. 2026
Vieira ponders the dilemma from his own perspective as a coach, having had spells in charge at New York City, Nice, Crystal Palace, Strasbourg and Genoa.

— Oliver Kay, New York Times, 15 June 2026

Definition of ponders

Verb

Generic industry multiples are insufficient; true valuation depends on risk factors like owner independence, revenue diversification, growth, and financial cleanliness.

— Lien De Pau, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
But that restraint depends on Iranian leaders continuing to believe that avoiding such a confrontation leaves them better off.

— Hamidreza Azizi, Time, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of depends

Verb

The camera spins on its own ketamine high as Peter (Firstman), party promoter extraordinaire and generous drug dealer, kicks off another evening.

— Joshua Rothkopf, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026
Its storyline spins the futile, determined chase of Wile to one day capture Roadrunner as something admirable, and applies that underdog mentality to the average person trying to navigate a late capitalist landscape that values profits over people.

— Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 27 Aug. 2026