turn out
Britishverb
-
(tr) to cause (something, esp a light) to cease operating by or as if by turning a knob, etc
-
(tr) to produce by an effort or process
she turned out 50 units per hour
-
(tr) to dismiss, discharge, or expel
the family had been turned out of their home
-
(tr) to empty the contents of, esp in order to clean, tidy, or rearrange
to turn out one's pockets
-
(copula)
-
to prove to be
her work turned out to be badly done
-
to end up; result
it all turned out well
-
-
(tr) to fit as with clothes
that woman turns her children out well
-
(intr) to assemble or gather
a crowd turned out for the fair
-
(of a soldier) to parade or to call (a soldier) to parade
-
informal (intr) to get out of bed
-
informal to make an appearance, esp in a sporting competition
he was asked to turn out for Liverpool
noun
-
the body of people appearing together at a gathering
-
the quantity or amount produced
-
an array of clothing or equipment
-
the manner in which a person or thing is arrayed or equipped
-
Shut off, as in He turned out the light . [Late 1800s]
-
Arrive or assemble for an event, as in A large number of voters turned out for the rally . [Mid-1700s]
-
Produce, as in They turn out three thousand cars a month . [Mid-1700s]
-
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 .
-
Equip, outfit, as in The bride was turned out beautifully . [First half of 1800s]
-
Get out of bed, as in Come on, children; time to turn out . [ Colloquial ; early 1800s]
-
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.
"It also ends up becoming quantized for topological reasons. There turn out to be constraints in the theory that force the cosmological constant to take certain allowed quantized values."
From Science Daily • Jun. 19, 2026
Since disgruntled voters are more likely to turn out, that means the out party typically gains seats.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 17, 2026
The DJ Fat Tony also said there was an "incredible turn out of love" at Hall's funeral in Wanstead on Friday.
From BBC • Jun. 16, 2026
“We really hope it doesn’t turn out like that. Duration matters a lot for the economic and social consequences.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 3, 2026
"Want to take a turn out to the park?"
From "The Sun Also Rises" by Ernest Hemingway
![]()
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.