turn over a new leaf

1. To begin anew; to change one's ways: “Since he was grounded, Larry has turned over a new leaf and does his homework every night.”

Idioms and Phrases

Make a fresh start, change one's conduct or attitude for the better, as in He promised the teacher he would turn over a new leaf and behave himself in class. This expression alludes to turning the page of a book to a new page. [Early 1500s]

Example Sentences

Daniel says that agents like Alberto – who fell into gangs and crime at a vulnerable age in the US, but are willing to turn over a new leaf in Mexico – are among his most trusted employees.

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“I’m tired of being controversial. I’m trying to turn over a new leaf. It is way too soon to be doing jokes about a catastrophe like that.”

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“This is not someone who deserves a break; he has turned every opportunity to turn over a new leaf into a new opportunity to break the law and defy law enforcement. He did not simply walk away and forget to check in with his probation officer,” Spitzer said.

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“I’m hoping we turn over a new leaf,” said Ira Max, a 72-year-old season ticket holder for 45 years from Wyckoff, New Jersey.

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After Trump commuted his sentence, Weinstein pledged to turn over a new leaf in a video message to his supporters posted online by a local publication, The Lakewood Scoop.

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Related Words

• amend 
• improve 
• rebuild 
• rehabilitate 
• remake 
• renovate 
• reorganize 
• repair 
• resolve 
• restore 
• revise 
• revolutionize 
• standardize 
• transform