Collocations for "turning"
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word "turning" in context.
WordReference English Collocations © 2025
turn
ⓘMost examples are given in US English. We have labeled exceptions as UK.v
- turn the [wheel, handle]
- turn to [open, close, secure]
- turn (it) to the [right]
- the [car, bus] turned (to the) [right, left]
- turn the [statue, chair] to the [right]
- the [car] turned the corner
- turn at the [corner, intersection, next left]
- [believe, think, feel as though] we have turned a corner
- the tide has turned
- [everyone, they all] turned and [stared, looked]
- she turned and walked away
- turn around (and)
- turning in circles
- turn [towards, away from]
- turn in the [application, assignment, exam]
- turn it in [late, on time]
- [he, the suspect] turned himself in
- will turn up [sooner or later, soon enough, eventually]
- turned up [in the woods, under the couch, at the school]
- [she, your phone] will turn up
- turned up at the [party, house, meeting]
- turned up [early, late, eventually] (for)
- turn [up, down] the [sound, volume, movie]
- turn the [sound] [up]
- turn [on, off] the [lights, TV]
- turn the [lights] [on]
- let's turn the page
- turned (over) the page
- turn over the [paper, book]
- turn the [paper] over
- turned down the corner of the [book, paper]
- turn down the [sheets, bedsheets]
- turn down the [offer, job, interview]
- [everything, she] will turn out [OK, all right]
- it turns out (that)
- as it turned out
- [chair, sofa, couch] that turns into a bed
- turn your [passion, hobby] into [profit, a business, a career]
- turned [it, the problem] into an opportunity
- the [allies, friends, teammates] turned on each other
- [the dog, his friend] turned on him
- the [meal, flight, rollercoaster, sight] turned my stomach
- turn [our gaze, your attention] to
- turned the tables on him
- [he, the weather] turned bad
- turned [informant, traitor] (against)
- turned tail and [ran, fled]
- (would be) turning in his grave
- turn over a new leaf
- turned the tables on (her rival)
- [make, take] a [sharp, sudden, tight, U] turn
- [made] an about turn
- was a [sharp] turn in the road
- the [story, movie, day] took [a complete, an unexpected] turn
- it's your turn
- it's her turn to [roll, speak, go, play]
- [rolled, speak] out of turn
- is it my turn?
- whose turn is it?
- her [mother, sister, son] took a bad turn
- had a [bad, funny] turn
- took a turn for the [worse, better]
- take it in turns (to)
- take turns [making breakfast, doing the ironing]
- gave the [wheel, knob, chair] a turn
- a turn of the [handle, wrench, dial, wrist]
- a [clever, smart] turn of phrase
- at the turn of the [century, millennium]
- they [betrayed, thwarted, stopped] us at every turn
- that's a turn-up for the books
- wearing turn-ups
'turning' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):