Phrasal verbs with TURN are extremely common in everyday English, but they often confuse learners because one verb can have several different meanings depending on context.
In this lesson, you’ll learn the most common and practical phrasal verbs with TURN, with clear meanings, natural examples, pronunciation, and grammar notes. We focus only on meanings you are likely to hear and use in daily conversation.
List of Common Phrasal Verbs with Turn
Here are the twelve essential phrasal verbs with turn that you’ll encounter regularly in professional and casual English:
Pin
Turn against
Turn around / Turn round
Turn back
Turn down
Turn in
Turn into
Turn off
Turn on
Turn out
Turn over
Turn to
Turn up
Phrasal Verbs with Turn: Meaning and Examples
Below is a comprehensive breakdown of each phrasal verb with turn, organized with clear meanings, real-world examples, and essential grammar rules to help you use them accurately in various contexts.
Turn against
/tɜːrn əˈɡenst/transitiveinseparable
📖 To stop supporting someone or something and begin to oppose them
Public opinion began to turn against the policy.
🔄 Synonyms:opposerebel against
Turn around / Turn round
/tɜːrn əˈraʊnd/transitive, intransitiveseparable
📖 1To move so you face the opposite direction
She turned around when she heard her name.
📖 2To improve a bad situation
The new manager helped turn around the company.
📖 3To completely change an outcome
A single goal in the final minutes turned around the whole match.
🔄 Synonyms:reverseimprove
Turn back
/tɜːrn bæk/intransitiveinseparable
📖 To return in the opposite direction
We had to turn back because of the storm.
🔄 Synonyms:returngo back
Turn down
/tɜːrn daʊn/transitiveseparable
📖 1To refuse an offer or request
She turned down the job offer.
📖 2To reduce the level of sound, heat, or light
Please turn down the music.
🔄 Synonyms:refuserejectlower
Turn in
/tɜːrn ɪn/transitive, intransitiveseparable
📖 1To submit something to someone in authority
Please turn in your assignment by Friday.
📖 2To go to bed
I’m feeling quite tired, so I think I’ll turn in early tonight.
🔄 Synonyms:submithand ingo to sleep
The first five phrasal verbs with turn establish the foundational meanings of direction change, opposition, and submission. These verbs are crucial for expressing physical movement, social change, and academic or professional actions in English.
Turn into
/tɜːrn ˈɪntuː/transitiveinseparable
📖 To change into something else
The caterpillar turned into a butterfly.
🔄 Synonyms:transform intobecome
Turn off
/tɜːrn ɔːf/transitiveseparable
📖 1To switch off a device
Please turn off the lights before you leave.
📖 2To make someone lose interest
Loud noises really turn me off.
🔄 Synonyms:switch offdiscouragedeactivate
Turn on
/tɜːrn ɒn/transitiveseparable
📖 1To switch on a device
Can you turn on the fan?
📖 2To suddenly attack or criticize
Everyone turned on him during the meeting.
🔄 Synonyms:activateattackenable
Turn out
/tɜːrn aʊt/intransitive, transitiveseparable
📖 1To result in a particular way
The party turned out better than expected.
📖 2To attend or appear at an event
A large crowd turned out for the concert.
📖 3To switch off a light
Don’t forget to turn out the bedroom light.
🔄 Synonyms:resultattendproduce
Turn over
/tɜːrn ˈoʊvər/transitiveseparable
📖 1To flip something so the other side is on top
Please turn over the page to read the next part.
📖 2To transfer control, responsibility, or possession
She turned over the project to her assistant.
📖 3To generate money or business revenue
The company turns over millions of dollars each year.
🔄 Synonyms:fliptransferhand over
The second group of phrasal verbs with turn covers transformation, device control, and outcomes. Turn into describes change, turn off and turn on manage devices and emotions, turn out reveals results, and turn over involves physical flipping or handing something to others.
Turn to
/tɜːrn tuː/transitiveinseparable
📖 1To ask someone for help, advice, or support
She turned to her teacher for advice.
📖 2To begin doing or using something as a solution
When things got worse, he turned to music for comfort.
🔄 Synonyms:seek help fromrely on
Turn up
/tɜːrn ʌp/intransitive, transitiveseparable
📖 1To arrive unexpectedly
He turned up late to the meeting.
📖 2To increase volume or intensity
Can you turn up the radio a little?
🔄 Synonyms:appearincreasearrive
Dialogue Examples with Phrasal Verbs with Turn
The following conversations show how these phrasal verbs function naturally in real-world scenarios:
💬 Job Offer Rejection
A
What happened to your job offer?
B
I turned it down. It didn’t feel right.
A
Really? The salary sounded good.
B
It did, but the work hours would have turned my life upside down.
A
That makes sense. Sometimes you have to turn down a good offer for peace of mind.
💬 Event Planning Success
A
Did the event go well last night?
B
Yes! It turned out amazing.
A
I heard fewer people were coming.
B
That’s true, but more guests turned up at the last minute.
A
Wow, that really turned around the whole situation.
