turn-in

1 of 2

noun

ˈtərn-ˌin How to pronounce turn-in (audio)
Synonyms of turn-innext
: something that turns in or is turned in

turn in

2 of 2

verb

turned in; turning in; turns in

intransitive verb

1
: to make an entrance by turning from a road or path
2
: to go to bed
turned in early

transitive verb

1
: to deliver up : hand over
turned in his badge and quit
2
a
: to inform on : betray
b
: to deliver to an authority
urged the fugitive to turn himself in
3
: to acquit oneself of : put on, produce
turned in a good performance

Synonyms of turn-in

Relevance

Verb

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of turn-in in a Sentence

Verb turned in the banned assault rifle to the police it's almost midnight, so it's time to turn in
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.
Noun
For example, at Cresthill Middle School, a turn-in lane was recently installed in hopes of alleviating traffic on Cresthill Lane. — Brian Flores, CBS News, 12 Aug. 2026 But behind the trophies, judging tables and official turn-in times were teams with very different stories. — Sophia Buonpane, Kansas City Star, 28 June 2026
Verb
Stidham turned in a sharp and efficient performance Friday, completing 9 of 15 passes for 131 yards and a touchdown. — Nick Kosmider, New York Times, 15 Aug. 2026 More than two decades later, Sink brought one of its butterfly-wing gowns back to the red carpet for a major turn in her own career. — Amina Ayoud, Footwear News, 15 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for turn-in

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1873, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1535, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of turn-in was in 1535

Rhymes for turn-in

See All Rhymes for turn-in

Browse Nearby Words

Turnicomorphae
turn-in
turn in
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Turn-in.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/turn-in. Accessed 17 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

turn in

verb
1
: to give up or hand back
turned in the art supplies when I was finished
2
: to hand over to authorities
the escaped prisoner turned himself in
3
: do entry 1 sense 1a
turned in a fine job
4
: to go to bed
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

Is “GIF” Pronounced “Jiff” or “Giff”?

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of a green cube out of place in a lineup of red spheres
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Vol. 2 Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.
See All