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turn around
Change direction and go/look the other way:
Can also describe when a failing company/project/process starts to become successful:
turn away
Not allow someone to enter a place:
turn down
1. Decrease volume or heating/air conditioning:
2. Not accept an invitation or offer (can be used for romantic dates, job offers, etc.):
“He asked her out to dinner, but she turned him down.”
“I can’t believe he turned down a great job at a bank in order to try to be a writer!”
turn in
1. Give an assignment to a teacher or supervisor:
2. Go to bed:
3. Deliver someone who committed a crime to the police:
turn into
Become:
turn on
1. Start a machine, light, or electronic device:
2. Turn (someone) on = make the person sexually aroused:
turn off
1. Stop a machine, electronic device, or light (for lights, we can use TURN OFF, SHUT OFF, or TURN OUT; for machines, only TURN OFF or SHUT OFF):
2. Turn (someone) off = make someone lose interest, make someone dislike something (may be sexual, but not necessarily):
“It turns me off when my boyfriend tries to hug me when he’s all sweaty.”
“I don’t like that design at all. The bright colors just turn me off.”
turn over
1. To invert:
2. To transfer something to someone in authority:
turn out
1. Same as TURN OFF or SHUT OFF for lights:
2. Have an end result (especially a surprising one):
“I thought I was unqualified for the job, but it turns out that the company provides training – so previous experience isn’t necessary.”
“We thought the project was going to be a miserable failure, but everything turned out all right in the end.”
turn up
1. Increase volume/temperature:
2. Appear:
Image sources: Kanko from Nagasaki, Japan, Mikewarbz at en.wikipedia
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