Phrasal verb
Phrasal verbs with turn
By EasySay. Published . Updated .
Turn changes its meaning with the small word after it.
Turn up means to arrive, turn down means to refuse, and turn off means to stop a machine. This page explains eight meanings of turn, with a pattern and an example for each, and a five-question check.
Written for EasySay, in our own words.
In short
- Patternturn up
- Patternturn sth down
turn: what it is, and what it is not
- IS
- turn up: arrive or appear, often late or unasked.
- IS
- turn sth down: refuse an offer or request.
- IS
- turn sth off: stop a machine, a light or a tap.
- IS
- turn sth down: the object can go between turn and down.
- IS NOT
- turn up: the object cannot go in the middle; it stays after the small words.
- IS NOT
- The plain verb: turn with a small word takes a new meaning, such as arrive or appear, often late or unasked.
Meaning: Turn is a common verb for change and machines. With small words it can mean to arrive, to refuse, to switch off, to become something else and more.
How do people say it?
- Arrive or appear, often late or unasked:
Only half the class turned up for the Saturday lesson.
- Refuse an offer or request:
She turned the offer down without a second thought.
Check yourself
What should I know?
What does it mean, and how is it used?
| Meaning | Object in the middle? | Pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arrive or appear, often late or unasked | No | turn up |
|
| Refuse an offer or request | Yes | turn sth down |
|
| Stop a machine, a light or a tap | Yes | turn sth off |
|
| Start a machine, a light or a tap | Yes | turn sth on |
|
| Change and become something different | No | turn into sth |
|
| Happen or end in a certain way | No | turn out |
|
| Return the way you came | No | turn back |
|
| Hand control of a business or task to someone else | Yes | turn sth over to sb |
|
Map of the small words
- turnup
- Arrive or appear, often late or unaskedturn upObject goes after
- turndown
- Refuse an offer or requestturn sth downObject can go in the middle
- turnoff
- Stop a machine, a light or a tapturn sth offObject can go in the middle
- turnon
- Start a machine, a light or a tapturn sth onObject can go in the middle
- turninto
- Change and become something differentturn into sthObject goes after
- turnout
- Happen or end in a certain wayturn outObject goes after
- turnback
- Return the way you cameturn backObject goes after
- turnover to
- Hand control of a business or task to someone elseturn sth over to sbObject can go in the middle
Small words used with it
- up
- down
- off
- on
- into
- out
- back
- over
What should I not mix it up with?
- go Go is a common verb for movement. With small words it can mean to continue, to ring, to leave home, to check carefully, to rise and more.
Turn is a verb of change, and its eight meanings on this page show how far one small word can move it. Turn up arrives, turn down refuses, turn off stops a machine and turn on starts it.
When you meet a new phrase with turn, look at the small word first. Up, down, on and off each pull the verb in its own direction, and the pattern in the table tells you where each one goes.
Four of the eight meanings let you put the object in the middle: turn down, turn off, turn on and turn over. You can say turn the offer down or turn down the offer, and both are right.
When the object is a pronoun such as it, him or them, it must go in the middle. Say turn it off and not turn off it. Turn up, turn into, turn out and turn back keep the small word next to the verb in every sentence.
Two pairs on this page deserve a second look. Turn on and turn off are true opposites for machines, lights and taps, and learners rarely mix them.
Turn up and turn down look like opposites too, but they are not: up arrives and down refuses, so the two do not trade places. Say each pair aloud with its example until the small words feel fixed, then try the check below.
Turn back and turn over need extra care with the words around them. Turn back is followed by where or when, as in turned back at the bridge, not by an object.
Turn over takes both an object and a person, as in turned the shop over to her daughter. Write your own sentence for each row of the table and say it aloud. The check then blanks the small word, so you practise the part that matters most.
Other base verbs
Questions people ask
What is the difference between turn on and turn off?
Turn on starts a machine, a light or a tap, and turn off stops it. Both let the object go in the middle: turn the heater on, turn the lights off. With a pronoun it must go in the middle.
Does turn up mean only late?
No. It means to arrive or appear, and the arrival may be late or unasked. “Half the class turned up” says who came, whatever the time.
Is turn down the opposite of turn up?
No. Turn down means to refuse an offer, and turn up means to arrive. They share the verb but answer different questions, so learn them as separate phrases.
Which meanings let the object go in the middle?
On this page, turn down, turn off, turn on and turn over. With a noun both orders work; with a pronoun such as it, the pronoun must go in the middle.
Sources and dates
- EasySay's own writing for the phrasal verbs, EasySay. Licence: original writing for EasySay. Checked .
Cite this page
EasySay. "Phrasal verbs with turn". https://easysay.org/phrasal-verbs/turn. Last updated 23 October 2026.
https://easysay.org/phrasal-verbs/turn