Idioms are phrases that don’t always mean what the words say. They can help make language more interesting. One type of idiom is about “turning.” These idioms use the idea of turning, whether it’s turning a corner, turning the tables, or changing directions. They help express changes, choices, and different situations in life.
In this article, we’ll look at some common idioms about turning and what they mean. You’ll learn how people use these expressions in everyday conversations. Idioms are a fun way to make language more colorful and to share ideas in a creative way. Understanding these idioms can also help you sound more like a native speaker. Let’s dive into the world of turning idioms!
Idioms About Turning
1. Turn a blind eye
Meaning: To ignore something, usually because you don’t want to deal with it.
Example Sentence:
- The teacher turned a blind eye when the students were talking during the test.
- I turned a blind eye to my brother’s messy room.
Other ways to say: Ignore, overlook, pretend not to see.
Fun Fact/Origin: This idiom comes from the idea of pretending to be blind and not seeing something bad.
Usage: Often used when someone purposely ignores a problem.
2. Turn the tables
Meaning: To change a situation so that it becomes better for you and worse for the other person.
Example Sentence:
- The underdog team turned the tables in the second half and won the game.
- He was losing the argument, but he turned the tables with one strong point.
Other ways to say: Reverse the situation, flip the script, change the outcome.
Fun Fact/Origin: This idiom comes from card games where turning the table could change the outcome of the game.
Usage: Used when someone changes the situation to their advantage.
3. Turn over a new leaf
Meaning: To start fresh or make a positive change.
Example Sentence:
- After the summer break, she decided to turn over a new leaf and study harder.
- He promised to turn over a new leaf and be nicer to everyone.
Other ways to say: Start fresh, make a change, begin anew.
Fun Fact/Origin: The idiom refers to turning the page of a book to begin a new chapter.
Usage: Often used when someone decides to make a positive change in their life.
4. Turn the corner
Meaning: To start improving after a difficult time.
Example Sentence:
- After a tough year, the company is finally starting to turn the corner.
- She was sick for weeks, but now she’s turned the corner and feels better.
Other ways to say: Get better, recover, make progress.
Fun Fact/Origin: The idea of turning a corner suggests moving from a bad situation to a better one.
Usage: Used when things start improving after a period of difficulty.
5. Turn a deaf ear
Meaning: To refuse to listen or pay attention to something.
Example Sentence:
- She turned a deaf ear to the complaints about the new rules.
- He turned a deaf ear to his parents’ advice.
Other ways to say: Ignore, disregard, not listen.
Fun Fact/Origin: The idiom comes from the idea of pretending to be deaf and not hearing what’s being said.
Usage: Often used when someone refuses to listen to suggestions or advice.
6. Turn someone’s head
Meaning: To make someone feel proud or special, often by attracting attention.
Example Sentence:
- The new student’s outfit turned everyone’s head at school.
- Her singing talent turned the judges’ heads on the show.
Other ways to say: Catch someone’s eye, impress, attract attention.
Fun Fact/Origin: Refers to the idea of someone turning their head to look at something or someone interesting.
Usage: Used when something or someone gets a lot of attention.
7. Turn in circles
Meaning: To be confused or unsure about what to do.
Example Sentence:
- I was turning in circles trying to figure out where I left my phone.
- She was turning in circles, unsure if she should go to the party.
Other ways to say: Be confused, feel lost, be uncertain.
Fun Fact/Origin: This idiom refers to the idea of spinning around without getting anywhere.
Usage: Used when someone is confused or unsure about what to do next.
8. Turn the tide
Meaning: To change the direction or course of events, usually for the better.
Example Sentence:
- The coach’s speech turned the tide, and the team started playing better.
- The new policy turned the tide for the company, leading to more sales.
Other ways to say: Change things, reverse the trend, shift things.
Fun Fact/Origin: This comes from the idea of the ocean tides changing direction.
Usage: Used when there’s a major shift in the direction of events.
9. Turn someone’s stomach
Meaning: To make someone feel disgusted or sick.
Example Sentence:
- The smell of the rotten food turned my stomach.
- The idea of lying to her friends turned his stomach.
Other ways to say: Disgust, make someone feel ill, gross out.
Fun Fact/Origin: Refers to the physical reaction of feeling sick when seeing or hearing something unpleasant.
Usage: Used when something makes you feel disgusted or upset.
10. Turn up the heat
Meaning: To make a situation more intense or difficult.
Example Sentence:
- The coach turned up the heat during practice to make us work harder.
- The boss turned up the heat when he gave us a tough deadline.
Other ways to say: Increase the pressure, make it harder, step things up.
Fun Fact/Origin: This idiom comes from the idea of increasing the temperature to make things more challenging.
Usage: Often used when someone intensifies a situation or challenge.
11. Turn in for the night
Meaning: To go to bed or go to sleep.
Example Sentence:
- I’m tired, so I’m going to turn in for the night.
- After the movie, she decided to turn in for the night.
Other ways to say: Go to bed, hit the hay, get some rest.
Fun Fact/Origin: This idiom refers to “turning in” your day and going to bed.
Usage: Used when someone decides to go to sleep.
12. Turn over a new leaf
Meaning: To make a fresh start or change your behavior.
Example Sentence:
- He promised to turn over a new leaf and be more responsible.
- After the argument, she decided to turn over a new leaf and be kinder.
Other ways to say: Start fresh, make a change, change for the better.
Fun Fact/Origin: Refers to turning the page in a book, starting a new chapter in life.
Usage: Used when someone decides to make positive changes.
13. Turn the other cheek
Meaning: To ignore bad treatment and not retaliate.
Example Sentence:
- Even though he was insulted, he turned the other cheek and walked away.
- She turned the other cheek when her coworker made fun of her.
Other ways to say: Let it go, forgive, take the high road.
Fun Fact/Origin: This comes from a teaching in the Bible, encouraging people not to retaliate.
Usage: Used when someone chooses not to respond to bad treatment with anger.
14. Turn the key
Meaning: To start something or unlock a new opportunity.
Example Sentence:
- The new leader turned the key to success with fresh ideas.
- She turned the key to her new car and drove off excitedly.
Other ways to say: Start something, begin, unlock.
Fun Fact/Origin: Refers to physically turning a key to start an engine or open a lock.
Usage: Often used when someone begins something important or opens a new opportunity.
15. Turn on a dime
Meaning: To change direction quickly or easily.
Example Sentence:
- The car turned on a dime to avoid hitting the other vehicle.
- He can turn on a dime and change his mind in an instant.
Other ways to say: Change quickly, act fast, be flexible.
Fun Fact/Origin: This idiom refers to how easily a small coin can be flipped or turned.
Usage: Used when someone or something changes direction or focus quickly.
16. Turn the page
Meaning: To move on from something or start a new chapter.
Example Sentence:
- After the breakup, she decided to turn the page and focus on her future.
- It was a tough year, but now it’s time to turn the page and look ahead.
Other ways to say: Move on, start fresh, begin anew.
Fun Fact/Origin: Refers to turning the page of a book to start a new section or chapter.
Usage: Used when someone decides to leave the past behind and move forward.
17. Turn the other way
Meaning: To deliberately look away from something, often to avoid trouble.
Example Sentence:
- He turned the other way when he saw his friend cheating.
- She turned the other way and pretended not to see the argument.
Other ways to say: Look away, ignore, pretend not to see.
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from the idea of physically turning to avoid seeing something uncomfortable.
Usage: Used when someone chooses not to get involved or look at something they’d rather avoid.
18. Turn inside out
Meaning: To turn something so that the inside is on the outside.
Example Sentence:
- She turned her jacket inside out after spilling something on it.
- The kids were so excited, they turned the house inside out looking for their toys.
Other ways to say: Flip, reverse, turn around.
Fun Fact/Origin: Refers to physically turning something inside out, like a piece of clothing.
Usage: Used when something is reversed or changed in a noticeable way.
19. Turn up the volume
Meaning: To make something louder or more intense.
Example Sentence:
- He turned up the volume on the music for the party.
- The coach turned up the volume during the last few minutes of the game.
Other ways to say: Increase the sound, raise the level, make louder.
Fun Fact/Origin: Refers to adjusting the volume control on a device.
Usage: Used when you want to make something louder or more intense.
20. Turn the spotlight on
Meaning: To focus attention on someone or something.
Example Sentence:
- The interviewer turned the spotlight on the actor during the interview.
- She turned the spotlight on her team for their great work.
Other ways to say: Highlight, focus attention on, bring attention to.
Fun Fact/Origin: Refers to the stage spotlight used to direct attention to someone.
Usage: Used when you want to make someone or something the center of attention.
21. Turn to stone
Meaning: To become very stiff or unresponsive, often from fear or shock.
Example Sentence:
- I turned to stone when I heard the loud crash outside.
- He turned to stone when he saw the surprise party.
Other ways to say: Freeze, become still, become paralyzed with fear.
Fun Fact/Origin: Refers to the idea of turning rigid like stone, often because of shock or fear.
Usage: Used when someone becomes so shocked or scared that they cannot move.
22. Turn on the charm
Meaning: To use special effort to be pleasant or friendly to others.
Example Sentence:
- At the party, she turned on the charm and made everyone laugh.
- He turned on the charm to impress his boss during the meeting.
Other ways to say: Be charming, act friendly, show kindness.
Fun Fact/Origin: Refers to making an effort to be particularly charming or attractive.
Usage: Used when someone uses their personality to attract or impress others.
23. Turn a profit
Meaning: To make money from something, usually after a sale or investment.
Example Sentence:
- The company turned a profit last quarter thanks to new sales.
- He turned a profit from his lemonade stand over the summer.
Other ways to say: Make money, earn, gain a return.
Fun Fact/Origin: Refers to turning a financial gain from an activity or business.
Usage: Used when someone makes money from an investment or business.
24. Turn back the clock
Meaning: To wish you could return to a previous time or situation.
Example Sentence:
- If I could turn back the clock, I would have studied harder in school.
- She wishes she could turn back the clock and fix her mistake.
Other ways to say: Go back in time, wish for a do-over, relive the past.
Fun Fact/Origin: Refers to the idea of reversing time, like turning the hands of a clock.
Usage: Used when someone wishes they could undo or change something from the past.
25. Turn the heat on
Meaning: To make a situation more difficult or uncomfortable for someone.
Example Sentence:
- The detective turned the heat on the suspect to get a confession.
- The boss turned the heat on the team to meet the deadline.
Other ways to say: Increase pressure, make things harder, raise the stakes.
Fun Fact/Origin: Refers to the idea of making a situation more intense, like turning up heat in a room.
Usage: Used when someone makes a situation more challenging or stressful for another.
26. Turn the key
Meaning: To unlock an opportunity or start something important.
Example Sentence:
- The new app turned the key to a new era in technology.
- His new idea turned the key to solving the problem.
Other ways to say: Unlock, begin, start.
Fun Fact/Origin: Refers to physically turning a key to unlock a door or start a machine.
Usage: Used when something or someone opens a new door or opportunity.
27. Turn a profit
Meaning: To earn more money than you spent.
Example Sentence:
- The store turned a profit after launching their new product line.
- His small business finally turned a profit after a slow start.
Other ways to say: Make money, earn a return, be profitable.
Fun Fact/Origin: Refers to financial success in a business or investment.
Usage: Used when someone makes money from a business or investment.
28. Turn over a new leaf
Meaning: To change one’s behavior for the better.
Example Sentence:
- After his trouble with school, he decided to turn over a new leaf and focus on his studies.
- She turned over a new leaf and started volunteering every weekend.
Other ways to say: Start fresh, make a change, improve oneself.
Fun Fact/Origin: Refers to changing a page in a book, symbolizing a fresh start.
Usage: Used when someone decides to improve or change their behavior.
29. Turn the page
Meaning: To move on to something new, often after finishing something difficult.
Example Sentence:
- After graduation, it was time to turn the page and start a new chapter in life.
- He decided to turn the page after his old job and find something new.
Other ways to say: Start over, move on, begin anew.
Fun Fact/Origin: Refers to turning a literal page in a book, starting a new chapter.
Usage: Used when someone moves past something and begins something new.
30. Turn on a dime
Meaning: To change direction very quickly.
Example Sentence:
- The driver turned on a dime to avoid hitting the pedestrian.
- She changed her mind and turned on a dime about going to the party.
Other ways to say: Change fast, switch gears, quickly adjust.
Fun Fact/Origin: Refers to the sharp turn of a coin, symbolizing quick changes.
Usage: Used when someone or something makes a sudden change in direction or focus.
31. Turn the world upside down
Meaning: To cause great confusion or chaos.
Example Sentence:
- The new rules turned the world upside down for the students.
- The news about the storm turned everything upside down for the town.
Other ways to say: Cause chaos, create confusion, mess things up.
Fun Fact/Origin: This idiom comes from the idea of making everything completely out of order.
Usage: Used when something causes a major disturbance or confusion.
32. Turn to someone for help
Meaning: To ask someone for assistance or advice.
Example Sentence:
- When I didn’t understand the homework, I turned to my teacher for help.
- She turned to her older brother when she needed advice.
Other ways to say: Ask for help, seek assistance, go to someone.
Fun Fact/Origin: Refers to physically turning towards someone to ask for help.
Usage: Used when you rely on someone for guidance or support.
33. Turn in your grave
Meaning: To feel upset or angry about something, especially if it goes against what someone believed in.
Example Sentence:
- He would turn in his grave if he knew what was happening to his company.
- The way they treated his work would make him turn in his grave.
Other ways to say: Be upset, feel betrayed, be angry.
Fun Fact/Origin: This idiom imagines someone who has passed away being so upset about something that they would “turn” in their grave.
Usage: Used when something would deeply upset or anger someone if they were alive to see it.
Quiz: Idioms About Turning
Instructions: Read each question and the answer choices carefully. Pick the letter that best matches the meaning of the phrase or expression.
Question Key
- What does the idiom “turn a profit” mean?
A) To lose money in a business
B) To make money from a business or investment
C) To turn around and run a business
- If you “turn the page,” what are you doing?
A) Looking back at past mistakes
B) Starting something new or moving on
C) Writing a new chapter
- What does it mean when someone “turns the spotlight on” someone else?
A) They ignore the person
B) They focus attention on the person
C) They turn off the lights
- If you “turn to stone,” how do you feel?
A) Angry
B) Frozen with fear or shock
C) Excited
- What does it mean to “turn the other way”?
A) To help someone
B) To avoid seeing or dealing with something
C) To run away quickly
- If someone “turns over a new leaf,” what are they doing?
A) Trying something old again
B) Changing their behavior for the better
C) Turning the pages of a book
- If you “turn up the volume,” what are you doing?
A) Making something louder
B) Turning off the sound
C) Lowering the sound
- What does it mean when you say someone is “turning the heat on” someone else?
A) They are being nice to that person
B) They are putting pressure or stress on that person
C) They are cooling things down
- What does “turning on a dime” mean?
A) Changing direction very quickly
B) Making a small change
C) Turning something slowly
- What does it mean to “turn the world upside down”?
A) To travel around the world
B) To cause chaos or confusion
C) To make the world a better place
Answer Key
- B – To make money from a business or investment
- B – Starting something new or moving on
- B – They focus attention on the person
- B – Frozen with fear or shock
- B – To avoid seeing or dealing with something
- B – Changing their behavior for the better
- A – Making something louder
- B – Putting pressure or stress on that person
- A – Changing direction very quickly
- B – To cause chaos or confusion
Wrapping Up
We’ve explored many idioms about turning, each with its own meaning and examples. These idioms are useful in everyday conversations and can make your language more colorful. Whether you’re talking about moving on from something or changing direction, idioms help express ideas clearly and in a fun way.
Keep practicing these idioms, and you’ll soon find yourself using them naturally in different situations. Understanding idioms makes you a stronger communicator and helps you connect with others. Keep exploring and having fun with language!
