turn of the tide

Idioms  

1. A reversal of fortune, as in This last poll marked the turn of the tide, with our candidate gaining a sizable majority. Similarly, to turn the tide means “reverse a situation,” as in The arrival of reinforcements turned the tide in the battle. This idiom transfers the ebb and flow of the ocean's tides to human affairs. Although the idea is much older, the precise idiom dates from the first half of the 1800s.

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Example Sentences

Last year marked a turn of the tide, as the junta saw a fresh wave of attacks from insurgents that have since pushed the military government to breaking point.

From BBC • Nov. 10, 2024

But cruising is back and all signs point to a turn of the tide for the industry: More cruises are scheduled to depart the Port of Los Angeles next year than in 2019.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 3, 2021

The “real” turn of the tide occurred in the Soviet Union, however.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2020

“And I think I see the turn of the tide a little bit.”

From New York Times • Aug. 19, 2013

In this manner we worked up the noble stream, finding ourselves at the turn of the tide within a few miles of our destination, at a spot known as Monkey Point.

From The Log of a Sea-Waif Being Recollections of the First Four Years of My Sea Life by Bullen, Frank T.

Related Words

• climax
• critical point
• crux
• culmination
• juncture
• twist