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star turn

American  

noun

  1. the leading performer or act in a play, review, film, or the like.

  2. a bravura performance by a featured player or act.


Etymology

Origin of star turn

First recorded in 1905–10

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.

The kid from Tashkent who was once the second-youngest grandmaster in history is finally having his star turn.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 6, 2026

If “One Battle After Another” made you hungry for more Benicio Del Toro, his star turn in Wes Anderson’s “The Phoenician Scheme” is a hearty meal.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 10, 2026

His star turn at Davos pushed his approval rating up to 60%, according to Canada’s Angus Reid Institute.

From Barron's • Jan. 29, 2026

Hernández’s humility about the star turn has been noticed.

From Salon • Dec. 28, 2025

His musical efflorescence was tragically brief, but this is the man who turned the chord-strumming, jobbing electric guitar into a high-wire, virtuoso lead instrument, from also-ran to star turn.

From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall