turn against
phrasal verb
turned against; turning against; turns against
1
: to stop supporting or being friendly to (someone or something)
The senator eventually turned against the war.
She turned against her best friend.
2
: to cause (someone) to stop being friendly toward (someone)
He tried to turn our friends against us.
3
: to use (something) in a way that harms or discredits (someone)
Her political opponent tried to turn her many years of experience in Washington against her.
Examples of turn against in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
If we’re always bound to repeat the past, does Misty and Tai turning against Shauna mimic what happened then?
—
Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 11 Apr. 2025
Four years later, the tides have turned against the Americans.
—Felipe Cardenas, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2025
That does not mean that the author of the Court’s unconscionable Trump immunity decision will suddenly have an epiphany and turn against Donald Trump.
—Ian Millhiser, Vox, 29 Mar. 2025
The American system of government has always relied on the consent of the governed, and presidents have been hamstrung in the past when public opinion turned against them.
—Mary Ellen Klas, The Mercury News, 5 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for turn against
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Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 11 Apr. 2025
Four years later, the tides have turned against the Americans.
—Felipe Cardenas, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2025
That does not mean that the author of the Court’s unconscionable Trump immunity decision will suddenly have an epiphany and turn against Donald Trump.
—Ian Millhiser, Vox, 29 Mar. 2025
The American system of government has always relied on the consent of the governed, and presidents have been hamstrung in the past when public opinion turned against them.
—Mary Ellen Klas, The Mercury News, 5 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for turn against
Cite this Entry
“Turn against.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/turn%20against. Accessed 30 Apr. 2025.
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