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

See Examples For:

turn of the century

The football team, once a heavyweight, has had more losing seasons than winning ones since the turn of the century.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 30, 2026

At the turn of the century, wildfires destroyed only about 3% of the California homes they came into contact with.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 1, 2026

That’s the highest number since 1991, and more cases in just the past two years than in every previous year since the turn of the century combined.

From Slate ● Jul. 24, 2026

Officials say some 1,800 localities have already vanished since the turn of the century -- ghost villages that have become nothing more than decaying buildings and a name on a map.

From Barron's ● Jul. 22, 2026

In Japan, before the turn of the century, outside my father’s house there stood one of those stone lanterns, with four stubby legs and a small pagoda-like roof.

From "Farewell to Manzanar" by Jeanne Houston