turn out
Britishverb
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(tr) to cause (something, esp a light) to cease operating by or as if by turning a knob, etc
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(tr) to produce by an effort or process
she turned out 50 units per hour
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(tr) to dismiss, discharge, or expel
the family had been turned out of their home
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(tr) to empty the contents of, esp in order to clean, tidy, or rearrange
to turn out one's pockets
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(copula)
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to prove to be
her work turned out to be badly done
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to end up; result
it all turned out well
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(tr) to fit as with clothes
that woman turns her children out well
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(intr) to assemble or gather
a crowd turned out for the fair
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(of a soldier) to parade or to call (a soldier) to parade
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informal (intr) to get out of bed
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informal to make an appearance, esp in a sporting competition
he was asked to turn out for Liverpool
noun
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the body of people appearing together at a gathering
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the quantity or amount produced
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an array of clothing or equipment
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the manner in which a person or thing is arrayed or equipped
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Shut off, as in He turned out the light . [Late 1800s]
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Arrive or assemble for an event, as in A large number of voters turned out for the rally . [Mid-1700s]
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Produce, as in They turn out three thousand cars a month . [Mid-1700s]
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Be found to be in the end; also, end up, result, as in The rookie turned out to be a fine fielder , or The cake didn't turn out very well . [First half of 1700s] Also see turn out all right .
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Equip, outfit, as in The bride was turned out beautifully . [First half of 1800s]
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Get out of bed, as in Come on, children; time to turn out . [ Colloquial ; early 1800s]
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Evict, expel, as in The landlord turned out his tenant . [Early 1500s]
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.
Indeed, this did turn out to be the case for Alpöge’s function, which is short enough to fit into a single X post.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 6, 2026
She said she has younger allies but they don’t tend to turn out for local meetings.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 3, 2026
Some 300,000 people were expected to take part in or watch the community parade on Saturday, while up to 450,000 people were estimated to turn out city-wide for Pride.
From BBC ● Aug. 3, 2026
People have sold personal belongings, like their cars, to afford services that turn out to be bogus, said Christopher Ross, who oversees migration and refugee resettlement services at Catholic Charities USA.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2026
When they turn out of the Field of Dreams parking lot, I look back at Webb.
From "A High Five for Glenn Burke" by Phil Bildner
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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.