turn to

verb

turned to; turning to; turns to
Synonyms of turn tonext

intransitive verb

: to apply oneself to work : act vigorously
… all hands turn to and build a church and a jail …—Mark Twain

Examples of turn to in a Sentence

no need to turn to violence when we can talk things out peacefully
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The microscope now turns to Bajaria’s two top vertical lieutenants — Dan Lin in film, and Jinny Howe in original TV series. — Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 17 Oct. 2026 While McKee will be QB1 this weekend, the Eagles appear to be turning to a division rival to bolster their quarterback room and potentially push rookie Cole Payton out of the backup role in Week 6. — Chantz Martin Outkick, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2026 With the Aggies leading comfortably 28-0 at halftime on Saturday, A&M coach Mike Elko turned to backup quarterbacks Brady Hart and Helaman Casuga over the final two quarters. — ABC News, 17 Oct. 2026 The 2-3 Rams are turning to kicker Blake Grupe to help revitalize a unit that has struggled this season after running into problems in 2025. — Gary Klein, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for turn to

Word History

First Known Use

1799, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of turn to was in 1799

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Turn to.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/turn%20to. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster