turn 1 of 2

1
as in to rotate
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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2
as in to swing
to change the course or direction of (something) the dog turned the stampeding flock of sheep around he turned his cart uphill

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3
as in to deviate
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
as in to become
to eventually have as a state or quality will turn 12 in six months

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5
6
7
as in to depend
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 to spin
to be in a confused state as if from being twirled around all the new information made his head turn

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9
as in to persuade
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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turn

2 of 2

noun

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5
as in bout
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 act
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 turn
Verb
But after The Bob Newhart Show, Bonerz primarily turned his focus to directing. Julie Tremaine, PEOPLE, 16 Sep. 2025 The normally quiet airport turned festive. Rafael Romo, CNN Money, 16 Sep. 2025
Noun
In turn, the Koch brothers supported climate denial think tanks, while Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch’s Fox News nightly broadcasts worked overtime to convince Americans that both climate change and COVID-19 were hoaxes or that vaccines were ineffective or unsafe. Michael E. Mann, Time, 17 Sep. 2025 Spirit 1300 turn 20 degrees right, now. Brendan Cole shane Croucher john Feng, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for turn
Recent Examples of Synonyms for turn
Verb
  • The counter-rotating rotors remove the need for a tail rotor, while adjustable tail vanes provide smooth yaw control by catching the airflow.
    Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 21 Sep. 2025
  • For adventurous diners, Wednesday nights offer a rotating off-menu experience called Wednesday Night Raw.
    Symiah Dorsey, Southern Living, 21 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • That kind of dexterity is apparent in the footwork, one of those features that can swing matches when the going gets tough.
    Tim Ellis, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
  • After the Blue Jays swung a trade to bring in Shane Bieber at this season's deadline, Edward Eng of FanSided's Jays Journal predicted the team would turn to him as a long-term replacement while letting Max Scherzer walk this winter.
    Peter Chawaga, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Even in states whose policy deviates from the CDC, each pharmacy can set its own boundaries on who can be vaccinated, and individual pharmacists may fear liability for vaccinating pregnant customers, Groves said.
    Yasmin Tayag, The Atlantic, 16 Sep. 2025
  • Dell said the real challenge is how quickly students who deviate from their peers’ politics can be ostracized.
    Hanna Kang, Oc Register, 13 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Bumgarner put barrel to ball and sent it over the left-field fence, becoming the first pitcher to ever homer against Kershaw.
    Justice delos Santos, Mercury News, 20 Sep. 2025
  • As the pandemic fundamentally shifted youth political engagement, the show quickly became one of the nation’s most popular political podcasts, reaching 5 million monthly listeners and 750,000 daily downloads by mid-2025.
    Lily Mae Lazarus, Fortune, 20 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Platforms like Eater have changed the game for everything food fans do revolving from the actual dining experience to understanding the landscape behind the restaurants and the chefs literally feeding us.
    Kristin L. Wolfe, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
  • Another, also built from white disks on a bending wire, evokes a mechanized Japanese cherry tree, its circles—perched high on a narrow stem—not revolving so much as brushing quickly past one another.
    Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 15 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • As Mary’s family attempts to rally around the Downton heiress, Robert (Hugh Bonneville) and Cora (Elizabeth McGovern) are navigating their way through more financial strife, with those downstairs also left to ponder what the future holds for aristocratic homes like theirs.
    Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 16 Sep. 2025
  • Brendan McDermid | Reuters After Swedish payments group Klarna’s $17 billion initial public offering, investors are pondering which big fintech name will be the next to go public.
    Ryan Browne, CNBC, 15 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The three celestial bodies will appear to be within a degree of each other, forming an almost perfect straight-line alignment for some and a tight triangle for others, depending on location.
    Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
  • The lowest APRs are only available to the most qualified applicants, depending on credit profile and the state where the property is located, and those who also select ten year loan terms; APRs will be higher for other applicants and those who select longer loan terms.
    Kelsey Neubauer, CNBC, 18 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Delivering an incredible 280 Air Watts of suction through its fifth generation Hyperdymium capable of spinning at 135,000rpm, the flagship model boasts a number of other supporting technologies such as laser dust detection, whole-machine HEPA filtration, and a 70-minute runtime.
    Alex Harrington, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Sep. 2025
  • Gaudí’s structure is a head-spinning mixture of morphing geometrical forms, many inspired by nature.
    D. T. Max, New Yorker, 15 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Turn.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/turn. Accessed 23 Sep. 2025.

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