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Synonyms

turning

American  
[tur-ning] / ˈtɜr nɪŋ /

noun

  1. the act of a person or thing that turns.

  2. an act of reversing position.

  3. the place or point at which anything bends or changes direction.

  4. the forming of objects on a lathe.

  5. an object, as a spindle, turned on a lathe.

  6. an act of shaping or forming something.

    the skillful turning of verses.
turning British  
/ ˈtɜːnɪŋ /

noun

  1. Also called: turn.  a road, river, or path that turns off the main way

    the fourth turning on the right

  2. the point where such a way turns off

  3. a bend in a straight course

  4. an object made on a lathe

  5. another name for turnery

  6. (plural) the waste produced in turning on a lathe

"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

Other Word Forms

  • unturning adjective

Etymology

Origin of turning

Middle English word dating back to 1200–50; turn, -ing 1

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.

Tyson Fury marked his return to the heavyweight mix with a composed points win over Arslanbek Makhmudov at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, before immediately turning ringside to call out long-time rival Anthony Joshua.

From BBC • Apr. 11, 2026

Another protester, Denis MacDermot, 73, from Edinburgh, said he had been arrested before and had no hesitation about turning out again.

From Barron's • Apr. 11, 2026

However, with capital expenditures set to double this year and free cash flow turning negative, investors will need clearer evidence that unsupervised autonomy is around the corner to support the stock’s valuation, the analysts say.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026

“We are likely to see this turning negative in coming months.”

From MarketWatch • Apr. 10, 2026

Anna May nudged me before turning back to Mr. Haber.

From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu

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.