take turns

phrase

variants also British take it in turns
: to do something one after another in regular succession in order to share the responsibility or opportunity of doing it : alternate
We take turns washing the dishes.
Almost immediately, Rick and Diane begin videotaping their classroom lessons, letting their students take turns with the cameras.Ann Bradley
Several youths were around the phone, taking it in turns to gossip and joke with the operator.Christopher Isherwood

Examples of take turns in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Patients eagerly take turns sitting in the barber’s chair, looking forward to a haircut. ABC News, 30 June 2026 Circles form beside drummers, and pairs take turns dancing in the middle, pirouetting around one another. Armando Ledezma, New Yorker, 30 June 2026 Olivia and Albert never left their daughter alone overnight, taking turns sleeping in her room while caring for Irie's older sister, Faith, and keeping their small business afloat. Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 28 June 2026 Itanare, Flores and Luis Freites Arvilla would then take turns appearing to approach the ATM, insert a card and enter a PIN, withdraw cash, and then repeat the process. Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 1 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for take turns

Word History

First Known Use

1613, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of take turns was in 1613

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Take turns.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/take%20turns. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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