turn against

British  

verb

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

---

turn against Idioms  

1. Become or make antagonistic to, as in Adolescents often turn against their parents, but only temporarily, or She turned him against his colleagues by telling him they were spying on him. [First half of 1800s]

---

Example Sentences

Sometimes people are encouraged to go on, sometimes we turn against that.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 11, 2026

But, as Bradley knows all too well, the fans can turn against one of their own -- or even against the entire roster.

From Barron's • Jun. 8, 2026

The church has, in other words, reason to worry that the explosion of public criticism, enabled by social media, is causing people to turn against them.

From Salon • Apr. 29, 2026

Conditions in parts of Russia were so grim that the communist leader worried his own military might turn against him.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 16, 2025

I think back to the way our own neighbors handled the division of those water bottles, and how so many of them were ready to turn against me, the one who brought it.

From "Dry" by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman

Related Words

• defy
• overthrow
• renounce
• resist
• revolt
• secede
• take up arms