out of turn
Idioms-
Not in the proper order or sequence, as in When her doubles partner began to serve out of turn, their opponents called the umpire . [Late 1800s]
-
In an inappropriate manner or at an inappropriate time, as in I may be out of turn telling you, but shorts are not permitted in the restaurant . [First half of 1900s] Also see speak out of turn .
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.
In one viral TikTok video, members of a senior-living community accuse their ex-friend of foul play: taking tiles out of turn and refusing to reveal her “winning” hands.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 17, 2026
To be fair, Munguia has always been respectful of his opponents and is not known for talking out of turn.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 4, 2024
But speaking out of turn on the stand could be very bad for him in an actual court of law.
From Slate ● Jan. 10, 2024
One man told me "he's from a good family, who've lived here for years", but people were nervous to speak out of turn, worried about upsetting Charley's family.
From BBC ● Apr. 11, 2023
I did the worksheets, lined up, followed directions, answered when I was called on, didn’t talk out of turn, and it was just fine.
From "Ida B" by Katherine Hannigan
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.
