turn on

British  

verb

1. (tr, adverb) to cause (something) to operate by turning a knob, etc

   to turn on the light

2. (intr, preposition) to depend or hinge on

   the success of the party turns on you

3. (preposition) to change or cause to change one's attitude so as to become hostile or to retaliate

   the dog turned on the children

4. informal (tr, adverb) to produce (charm, tears, etc) suddenly or automatically

5. informal to interest (someone) in something

   how to turn kids on to drama

6. slang (tr, adverb) to arouse emotionally or sexually

7. slang (intr, adverb) to take or become intoxicated by drugs

8. slang (tr, adverb) to introduce (someone) to drugs

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noun

1. slang a person or thing that causes emotional or sexual arousal

turn on Idioms  

1. Cause to begin the operation, flow, or activity of, as in Turn on the lights, please , or Don't turn on the sprinkler yet . [First half of 1800s]

2. Begin to display, employ, or exude, as in He turned on the charm . [Late 1800s]

3. Also, . Take or cause to take a mind-altering drug, as in The boys were excited about turning on , or They tried to get her high , or I told them I wouldn't get on tonight . [ Slang ; mid-1900s]

4. Be or cause to become excited or interested, as in His mother was the first to turn him on to classical music . [c. 1900]

5. Be or become sexually aroused, as in He blushed when she asked him what turned him on . [Second half of 1900s]

6. Also, turn upon . Depend on, relate to, as in The entire plot turns on mistaken identity . This usage, first recorded in 1661, uses turn in the sense of “revolve on an axis or hinge.”

7. Also, turn upon . Attack, become hostile toward, as in Although normally friendly, the dog suddenly turned on everyone who came to the door . Also see turn against .

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

turn on

"All the infrastructure is there, all the wells are drilled, it's ready to turn on," said Matt Cooper, senior vice president at energy consultancy Rystad Energy.

From Barron's ● Oct. 21, 2026

This was all watched by an impassive City chief executive Ferran Soriano, but any notion their fans would turn on the owners was dispelled by a flag reading: 'In Khaldoon We Trust.

From BBC ● Oct. 11, 2026

When it’s after 9 p.m., it’s time to turn on her dishwasher and crank up her air conditioner to cool down the Houston nights.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 10, 2026

Competition in telecom tends to turn on relatively familiar parameters such as marketing, pricing and network quality.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026

I didn’t think my dad even knew how to turn on the stove.

From "King and the Dragonflies" by Kacen Callender

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Related Words

• activate
• log on
• put on
• switch on

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