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Synonyms

turn around

Idioms  

  1. Reverse the direction or course of something or someone, as in He has a way of turning around a failing business, or If someone doesn't turn him around he's headed for trouble. [Late 1800s]

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Their advice for motorists was simple: Turn around and don’t drown.

From Slate • Oct. 17, 2025

"Turn around, don't drown when encountering flooded roads," the NWS said in an advisory on Wednesday, cautioning that "most flood deaths occur in vehicles".

From BBC • Jan. 10, 2024

Turn around there or push to the summit for a 360-degree view of the surrounding peaks and the larches below.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 28, 2023

The weather service has a saying for what to do when you see a flooded street or road: Turn around, don’t drown.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 3, 2023

Turn around, flailing my arms, find the keg bobbing next to me.

From "The Young Man and the Sea" by Rodman Philbrick

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.