TURNS Synonyms: 343 Similar and Opposite Words

turns 1 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of turn

as in rotates

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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Relevance

as in swings

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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as in deviates

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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as in becomes

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

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as in revolves

to move in circles around an axis or center the wheels turned, but the car was hopelessly stuck and wasn't moving

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as in ponders

to give serious and careful thought to turned the question every which way but could find no answer

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as in depends

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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as in spins

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

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as in convinces

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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turns

2 of 2

noun

plural of turn

as in walks

a relaxed journey on foot for exercise or pleasure would you care to take a turn around the garden?

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as in services

an act of kind assistance one good turn deserves another

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as in tendencies

a habitual attraction to some activity or thing an adventurous turn of mind that led him toward more physical activities like biking and skateboarding

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as in bends

something that curves or is curved right after this turn in the road you'll find the antiques shop on the right

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as in bouts

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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as in acts

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 turns

Verb

Ask who owns what, adjust the timeline, and make one practical fix before momentum turns messy. — Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 26 Aug. 2026 Conversations about the ethics of true crime storytelling persist in the space, especially with critics who claim that the genre turns pain into product and entertainment. — Matt Minton, Variety, 25 Aug. 2026 At the point when Ryan Gravenberch receives the ball, turns smartly and begins carrying into space, there are a few things to notice. — Jon MacKenzie, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026 Craig turns it over multiple times in the first half, but is allowed to settle down due to a strong performance defensively. — Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Aug. 2026 Thus the thermal energy of the tea turns into the potential energy of the water molecules that used to be part of the ice, lowering the temperature of the liquid in the pitcher. — Matthew Koss, The Conversation, 24 Aug. 2026 India has put $160 million behind a Critical Mineral Recycling Incentive Scheme, and Vietnam’s Decree 05/2025 turns recycled electronics into tradable EPR certificates, making compliance a revenue line rather than a cost. — Rob Kaplan, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026 Chinese authorities have long seen the deaths of popular former leaders as a potential trigger for a surge of public emotion and an occasional catalyst for instability when remembrance of the dead turns into criticism of those in power. — Reuters, NBC news, 18 Aug. 2026 These events occur when extremely hot underground water suddenly turns into steam, expands, and blasts apart the surrounding rock. — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 12 Aug. 2026

Noun

Here’s a story from 1985 that explains Williams’ journey and the twists and turns. — Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026 Together, Jaybush, Brad Chambers, and the American Heavy Moving team figured out a route through the city that avoided street trees, tight turns, and roads that run above old, fragile sewer pipes, which aren’t rated for heavy loads. — Nicola Twilley, New Yorker, 27 Aug. 2026 Three Fall Must-Dos Cruise one of the most underrated fall drives in the US—the Peter Norbeck Scenic Byway, encompassing winding Needles Highway in Custer State Park and Iron Mountain Road, famous for its 300-plus hairpin turns. — Taryn Shorr-McKee, Midwest Living, 26 Aug. 2026 Out in Montauk, some 100 miles (160 kilometers) east of Manhattan, Suse Lowenstein has tried to stay out of the twists and turns of the criminal case. — ABC News, 25 Aug. 2026 The twists and turns of the Iran war, six months in, should come as no surprise. — Susan Page, USA Today, 25 Aug. 2026 Others get there through divorce, widowhood or the unexpected turns life takes. — Angie O’Leary, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026 Anderson has garnered critical and mainstream acclaim in recent years thanks to dramatic and comedic turns including The Last Showgirl — which got her a Golden Globe nomination — and the Naked Gun reboot from Paramount. — Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 21 Aug. 2026 The supporting cast is also aces, with excellent turns from Samantha Morton, Colin Farrell, Max Von Sydow, Lois Smith, and many more. — Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 21 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for turns

Verb

Investor attention is currently shifting toward a growing divergence within technology equities, as market capital rotates away from mega-cap tech giants and into the AI infrastructure supply chain.

— , CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
Traveling at roughly one mile per second, the LRO orbits from pole to pole every two hours as the moon rotates on its own course about 60 miles below the spacecraft.

— Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of rotates

Verb

In the video, testers are seated in a ride vehicle attached to a robotic arm that swings around nearly 360 degrees in the air.

— Colson Thayer, PEOPLE, 16 Aug. 2026
During one of the more graphic sequences, It4mi swings a blade at the woman, severing her arm and sending blood across the frame.

— Krystie Lee Yandoli, USA Today, 15 Aug. 2026

Definition of swings

Verb

Walsh’s spaceship deviates from many of the vessels seen in Star Wars, as those ships are often dirty and grubby to emphasize their use and wear.

— Rachel Raposas, PEOPLE, 10 Aug. 2026
And the days are coming when AI is meaningfully involved in clinical care, beyond just transcribing our own words, and the follow-up recommendation deviates from the standard of care.

— Frances Mei Hardin, STAT, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of deviates

Verb

In the movie, a local brothel — the Devil’s Playhouse — becomes the target of a TV preacher, forcing the town’s sheriff, who happens to be a frequent customer, to save it.

— Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Aug. 2026
Still, with the right conditions, getting close to beds without bumping deer becomes much easier.

— Josh Honeycutt, Outdoor Life, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of becomes

Verb

While Tavares coach Gavin Jones ponders how to replace 18 transfer players heading into the season, just down Route 441, new Eustis coach Tanner Harris is pumping some energy into a program that has had four coaches in three years.

— Chris Hays, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 Aug. 2026
Vieira ponders the dilemma from his own perspective as a coach, having had spells in charge at New York City, Nice, Crystal Palace, Strasbourg and Genoa.

— Oliver Kay, New York Times, 15 June 2026

Definition of ponders

Verb

Generic industry multiples are insufficient; true valuation depends on risk factors like owner independence, revenue diversification, growth, and financial cleanliness.

— Lien De Pau, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
But that restraint depends on Iranian leaders continuing to believe that avoiding such a confrontation leaves them better off.

— Hamidreza Azizi, Time, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of depends

Verb

The camera spins on its own ketamine high as Peter (Firstman), party promoter extraordinaire and generous drug dealer, kicks off another evening.

— Joshua Rothkopf, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026
Its storyline spins the futile, determined chase of Wile to one day capture Roadrunner as something admirable, and applies that underdog mentality to the average person trying to navigate a late capitalist landscape that values profits over people.

— Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 27 Aug. 2026