EN

Synonyms for turn

  • verb
  • noun

Most common

become fall grow twist crank spin go off reverse

Synonyms by meaning

Verb

1. Become — to change condition or attitude. To become (often used with colors, clear sudden changes, weather and ages)

become, grow, get, go, make, form, forme US, fall, figure, build, shape, fit, come dated

2. Bend

twist, crank, direct, deflect, wind, sway, apply, incline, curve, warp, bend dated, wrench dated

3. Spin — to make a non-linear physical movement. To move about an axis through itself

spin, rotate, twirl, roll, revolve, whirl, swirl, wheel

4. Go off — to change condition or attitude. To change fundamentally; to metamorphose. To sour or spoil; to go bad

go off, go bad, sour, spoil

Other

reverse, move around, work, use, swerve, steer, divert, call on, adapt, render, invert, determine

Noun

1. Change — A change in temperament or circumstance

change, transform, shift, veer, cut, hang, alter, sweep, swing, convert dated

2. Act

act, bit

3. Round

round, bout

4. Spell

spell, tour dated

Other

move, flip, set, action, chance, rotation, play, opportunity, translate, tendency, favor US, favour UK, course

Definitions

  1. v. 1

    To make a non-linear physical movement. To move about an axis through itself.

  2. v. 2

    To change condition or attitude. To become (often used with colors, clear sudden changes, weather and ages).

    The leaves turn brown in autumn.

  3. n. 1

    A change in temperament or circumstance.

    She took a turn for the worse.

  4. n. 2

    A change of direction or orientation.

    Give the handle a turn, then pull it.

Related words

Word family
turnable turnaround turncloak turncock turn-off turnrow turnscrew turnsick
Phrases
turn-out turn over turn in turn back turn-on turn away turn to turn-up

Forms

Plural
turns → changes, transforms, shifts, veers…
Past participle
turned
e.g. turned → becomen, grown, getten, formed…

Choose the right word

Turn, Con, Verto, Change or Converted?

con, with, and verto, turn) is to primarily turn about, and signifies to change in form, character, use, etc., through a wide range of relations; iron is converted into steel, joy into grief, a sinner into a saint.

J. C. Fernald, English Synonyms and Antonyms (1914)

Example sentences

  • become Born in better times, he would have become famous.
  • fall One step further, and you will fall into an abyss.
  • grow "I will grow many trees here", he said to himself.
  • twist Twist that knob to the right and the box will open.
  • crank Hey! I don't want any crank calls - not at this hour.
  • spin After dinner, we took a spin around town in my car.

Popularity over time

Word1850 → 2019Trend
turnrising
becomesteady
fallsteady
growrising
twistrising
cranksteady

Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.

By length

2 letters
go1
3 letters
get1, use1, set1, bit1, act1, cut1, fit1
4 letters
make1, work1, come1, play1, form1, move1, fall1, tour1, grow1, wind1, roll1, hang1, spin1, flip1
5 letters
round1, build1, apply2, shape1, shift1, favor2, wheel1, spell1, swing1, twist1, curve1, adapt2, alter2, sweep1
6 letters
change1, become2, course1, chance1, action2, figure2, direct2, favour2, render2, rotate2, wrench1, divert2, swerve1, invert2
7 letters
reverse2, convert2, deflect2, revolve2, incline2
8 letters
rotation3, tendency3
9 letters
determine3, transform2, translate2
11 letters
opportunity5

The small number after each word is its number of syllables (apply2 = 2 syllables).

In other languages

Français
tourner
Italiano
girare
Deutsch
umschlagen