1
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
4
5
as in to revolve
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
6
as in to ponder
to give serious and careful thought to
turned the question every which way but could find no answer
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
7
8
1
as in walk
a relaxed journey on foot for exercise or pleasure
would you care to take a turn around the garden?
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in kindness
an act of kind assistance
one good turn deserves another
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in tendency
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
4
as in bend
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
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples 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
Bryan Alexander, USA TODAY, 18 Dec. 2024
My wife doesn’t want the kiss and turns her head away.
—Jeanne Phillips, The Mercury News, 18 Dec. 2024
Amala Balakrishner, CNBC, 19 Dec. 2024
Slater, in turn, filed for divorce from Lilly Jay, his wife of five years and mother of their son, less than ten days later.
—Kyle Denis, Billboard, 18 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for turn 
Verb
But Beth's savage effort to avenge her father's death, in which Attorney General Jamie played a significant role, turns next-level.
—Bryan Alexander, USA TODAY, 18 Dec. 2024
My wife doesn’t want the kiss and turns her head away.
—Jeanne Phillips, The Mercury News, 18 Dec. 2024
Noun
Halting activities in Delhi would in turn mean stopping the purchase of sand from Bihar as well as cement and raw materials from another part of India, which would then impact the labor and efficiency levels in those states.
—Amala Balakrishner, CNBC, 19 Dec. 2024
Slater, in turn, filed for divorce from Lilly Jay, his wife of five years and mother of their son, less than ten days later.
—Kyle Denis, Billboard, 18 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for turn
Recent Examples of Synonyms for turn
Verb
-
The Ravens needed to take care of business, build a comfortable enough lead to allow coach John Harbaugh to rotate liberally in the second half, avoid significant injuries and get back to Baltimore as soon as possible to start preparations for Saturday’s showdown with the Pittsburgh Steelers.Jeff Zrebiec, The Athletic, 16 Dec. 2024
-
Sometimes cards even rotate the spend categories quarterly.Erika Kullberg, USA TODAY, 15 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
Miragaia likely swung its tail to drive off predators, and perhaps cause rivals to back down, rather than trying to strike potential threats.Riley Black, Smithsonian Magazine, 16 Dec. 2024
-
The Broncos at that point had swung and missed at every bullet point of the game plan.Nick Kosmider, The Athletic, 16 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
My only quibble: unlike Part 1, Part 2 actually deviates quite substantially from the source material, particularly with regard to the fates of Constance and Milady.Ars Technica, Ars Technica, 23 Dec. 2024
-
The physical production did not dramatically deviate from the Gypsys that came before it.Adam Moss, Vulture, 19 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
With a commitment to being solely on the side of the consumer, LIR is poised to become the go-to resource for life insurance reviews, both at the time of purchase to get a second expert opinion and throughout the ownership of the policy in the modern age.Tyler Shepherd, USA TODAY, 14 Dec. 2024
-
The movie plots his origins and complicated relationship with his father and ruthless crime lord Nikolai (Russell Crowe) that sets him on the path to become a buff, leather jacket-wearing villain.Jordan Moreau, Variety, 13 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
How a house became a character At the figurative center of the town is the Buendía household, ever expanding to accommodate the needs of its revolving members.Jacqui Palumbo, CNN, 2 Dec. 2024
-
That said, focusing on paying down revolving debt is a good place to start.Jason Stauffer, CNBC, 21 Nov. 2024
Verb
-
Nationwide confusion over which Ron Johnson got the job Once Trump announced his pick of Johnson as the incoming U.S. ambassador to Mexico, social media lit up with politicians and citizens alike that pondered which Ron Johnson received the role.Rey Covarrubias Jr., The Arizona Republic, 13 Dec. 2024
-
After interviewing for the Atlanta Falcons and the job subsequently going to Raheem Morris, Belichick has dabbled in the media business while pondering his next steps on the sidelines.Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 12 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
The facility has 10 distinct jails, with a daily population that fluctuates depending on the city's crime rates and judicial processes.Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 13 Dec. 2024
-
Corbet was fascinated by the ways that an average person, trapped by sudden celebrity, might both buckle under pressure from the public and come to depend on it.Alexandra Schwartz, The New Yorker, 13 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
Magomedov is coming off a historic double spinning backfist KO win, while Page lost a narrow decision to Ian Machado Garry at welterweight.Brian Mazique, Forbes, 14 Dec. 2024
-
The score, composed by Scott Walker, swells as the image comes unfixed and begins to tumble and spin.Alexandra Schwartz, The New Yorker, 13 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near turn
Cite this Entry
“Turn.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/turn. Accessed 27 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share