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Synonyms

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.

turnaround British  
/ ˈtɜːnəˌraʊnd /

noun

    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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of turnaround

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

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.

If you want to play Nike’s turnaround without all of Nike’s problems, consider athletic-gear chain Dick’s Sporting Goods, Oppenheimer analysts said Wednesday.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 1, 2026

Applications have been filed with the city of Los Angeles to rebuild only about a third of the destroyed dwellings there, but the turnaround is faster, averaging less than 100 days from application to permit.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026

It is also a turnaround for Beijing, whose official response to the war has so far been quite muted.

From BBC • Apr. 1, 2026

Struggles in the smartphone market have pushed shares down more than 30% over the past year to around $5, but smart glasses offer potential for a turnaround.

From Barron's • Mar. 31, 2026

This is a quick turnaround, since I’m pretty sure when Peeta appeared the whole team was concerned about how dangerous he might be, especially to me.

From "Mockingjay" by Suzanne Collins

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.