Definition of turnnext
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
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
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

4
as in to become
to eventually have as a state or quality will turn 12 in six months

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

turn

2 of 2

noun

1
2
3
4
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

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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
Nights can also turn chilly while grilling dinner, so dressing in layers is essential. Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Aug. 2026 Rydell turned increasingly back to television for his directing jobs. Greg Evans, Deadline, 14 Aug. 2026
Noun
There’s a 7-inch smart TFT display supporting turn-by-turn navigation and detailed trip graphs that map speed, elevation, and battery state of charge against route data. New Atlas, 12 Aug. 2026 That compilation is now up to 810 turns somewhere on the tally. Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for turn
Recent Examples of Synonyms for turn
Verb
  • Those two rotated fluidly throughout, combined well and have developed a strong on-pitch connection.
    Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 9 Aug. 2026
  • The 360-degree rotating plug helps prevent bending and strain while fitting neatly behind furniture, appliances and other tight spaces.
    ABC News, ABC News, 8 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • In a game of fine margins, which way those nations swing could prove crucial.
    Aleks Klosok, CNN Money, 8 Aug. 2026
  • By Sunday, the Marvel-Sony tentpole should swing to $143 million, which represents about a 60% decline from its record-breaking $360 million debut.
    Jack Dunn, Variety, 8 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • The fund is mandated by Norway’s Finance Ministry to closely track a benchmark index, with only limited scope to deviate through active management.
    Bloomberg, Fortune, 12 Aug. 2026
  • My favorite thing about testing the F-150 Lightning was that the truck didn't deviate from Ford's winning F-Series formula.
    Charles Singh, USA Today, 11 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Located 8 miles south of Half Moon Bay, Tunitas Creek Beach will become the first major new public beach in the San Mateo County parks system since Fitzgerald Marine Reserve in Moss Beach in 1969.
    Paul Rogers, Mercury News, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Consequently, the plant could potentially become net-negative—removing more CO₂ from the atmosphere than the entire system emits during its life cycle.
    Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 13 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Paying down revolving credit card balances, correcting credit report errors and avoiding new debt before applying for a mortgage can also help.
    Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Although some pay their balances in full each month, roughly 60% carry revolving debt, leaving them more financially vulnerable, according to the New York Fed.
    Jessica Dickler, CNBC, 11 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Engineers spent months pondering the approach in late 2025 and early 2026, when the only antenna that was able to communicate with Voyager 2 was down for repair anyway.
    Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Whereas Aroma-Zone feels closer to a place of discovery with time to peruse and ponder.
    Kate Hardcastle, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • But Kyne cautions against complacency, as bycatch in fisheries, expanding agricultural development and proposals to extract freshwater from northern rivers continue to threaten the nursery habitats young sawfish depend on.
    Melissa Cristina Márquez, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
  • That is potentially significant because modern military operations increasingly depend on networks containing aircraft, ships, unmanned systems, sensors and command-and-control nodes from multiple organizations.
    Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 10 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • One planet spins almost on its side, another is hotter than the world closest to the Sun, and a moon is being continuously reshaped by volcanic eruptions.
    Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 11 Aug. 2026
  • The other potential development area has a slimmer time frame to spin to life before conditions get more hostile around midweek.
    Mary Gilbert, CNN Money, 11 Aug. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Turn.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/turn. Accessed 15 Aug. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on turn

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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