turnaround

American  

[turn-uh-round] / ˈtɜrn əˌraʊnd /

noun

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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Etymology

Origin of turnaround

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

Example Sentences

That helped drive a big turnaround for the S&P 500 in early 2019 after the index nearly fell into bear-market territory.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 8, 2026

Michigan’s turnaround started with the hiring of a sharp coach, Dusty May, who transformed a mid-major, Florida Atlantic, but saw the writing on the locker room chalkboard.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 7, 2026

A former Singapore Airlines executive, Wilson was brought in to lead a turnaround after Tata Group bought Air India from the Indian government in 2022 following years of losses.

From BBC • Apr. 7, 2026

The slowdown raised questions about whether PayPal’s turnaround efforts were working.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026

I've watched him coach a hopeless Little League team through a turnaround season.

From "The Sky at Our Feet" by Nadia Hashimi

Related Words

• U-turn
• turnabout