1 A2 neutral
To rotate the body or an object to face the opposite direction.
"She heard her name and turned round to see who was calling."
inseparable
turn round
B1 neutral inseparable transitive/intransitive
To face or move in the opposite direction, or to reverse a situation.
In plain English
Spin around to face the other way, or fix something that was going badly.
What does "turn round" mean?
3 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B2 idiomatic neutral
To reverse a bad situation and make it successful again.
"The new manager turned the failing department round within six months."
separable
3 B2 idiomatic neutral
To process and complete something within a certain amount of time.
"Our team can turn round a translation of that length in 48 hours."
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To physically rotate until facing the opposite direction.
Actually means
Spin around to face the other way, or fix something that was going badly.
Usage tip
Primarily British English; the American equivalent is 'turn around'. In business contexts, 'turnaround' (noun) refers to a reversal of poor performance. Also used to describe the time taken to complete a process.
Words that pair with "turn round"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
business economy car quickly fortunes situation
How to conjugate "turn round"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
turn round
I/you/we/they
3rd person
turns round
he/she/it
Past simple
turned round
yesterday
Past participle
turned round
have + pp
-ing form
turning round
continuous
Hear "turn round" in the wild
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Other ways to say "turn round"
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