turnaround

American  

[turn-uh-round] / ˈtɜrn əˌraʊnd /

noun

• turnarounds
  plural

1. the total time consumed in the round trip of a ship, aircraft, vehicle, etc.

2. turnabout.

3. change of allegiance, opinion, mood, policy, etc.

4. a place or area having sufficient room for a vehicle to turn around.

5. the time required between receiving and finishing or processing work or materials.

6. Commerce.

   1. a reversal, as in business sales, especially from loss to profit.

   2. the time between the making of an investment and receiving a return.

7. Aviation. the elapsed time between an aircraft's arrival at an airfield terminal and its departure.

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turnaround British  

/ ˈtɜːnəˌraʊnd /

noun

1. 1. the act or process in which a ship, aircraft, etc, unloads passengers and freight at the end of a trip and reloads for the next trip

   2. the time taken for this

2. the total time taken by a ship, aircraft, or other vehicle in a round trip

3. a complete reversal of a situation or set of circumstances

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• turnarounds
  plural

Etymology

Origin of turnaround

First recorded in 1925–30; noun use of verb phrase turn around

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

turnaround turnarounds

Royal Mail recently said it aims to meet regulator Ofcom's targets by May 2027 as part of a turnaround plan costing around £500m in the next five years.

From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026

On Wednesday, investors cheered signs that Target’s turnaround plans were working.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 21, 2026

The move is part of the company’s broad turnaround efforts, but will result in lower sales and profit in fiscal 2028, Strobel said, noting the company is working to cut costs.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026

As Target proceeds with its turnaround plan, the big-box retailer is betting on things like an ambitious grocery-section revamp, more snacks and new Legos.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 19, 2026

Thanks to Qareeb’s hard work finding a manufacturer, there was a quick turnaround for our dress samples.

From "Proud" by Ibtihaj Muhammad

Still, Laviolette, despite his track record of first-year turnarounds, is joining a team in flux.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 10, 2026

But "we are used to quite spectacular turnarounds that can allow him to remain optimistic", she added.

From Barron's ● May 18, 2026

Milei moved quickly once in office, signing dozens of decrees to shrink and deregulate the state in one of the most rapid budget turnarounds in the history of emerging markets.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 17, 2026

Forward returns after previous rapid turnarounds have leaned positive, the Bespoke analysts said in written commentary.

From MarketWatch ● Apr. 15, 2026

Some of the most successful restaurant turnarounds have come from winning a new time of day.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 20, 2026

Related Words

• U-turn
• turnabout