turn of the century

Idioms  

1. The beginning or end of a particular century, as in That idiom dates from the turn of the century, that is to say, about 1900. This expression was first recorded in 1926.

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Example Sentences

The campaign for Mitchell, however, goes back much further to the turn of the century, when she cut her teeth defending Republican positions on the 2000 election.

From Salon • Mar. 19, 2026

They are much older, more established businesses than many of the big spenders at the turn of the century.

From Barron's • Mar. 16, 2026

He watched the proliferation of internet companies in Silicon Valley at the turn of the century, thinking about how he could take a successful American business model and launch it in China.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 21, 2026

At the turn of the century, he penned an Op-Ed in The Times calling for former President Bill Clinton to put an end to the Cold War politics looming over the two countries’ strain.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 17, 2026

The sprawling Tudor monstrosity in the plutocrats’ retreat of Tuxedo Park, New York, had been built at the turn of the century by a wealthy banker and abandoned amid the grief of a family tragedy.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik