as in to attack
to take sudden, violent action against
it is dangerous to keep tigers as house pets, as they often turn on their masters without warning
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in lure
something that persuades one to perform an action for pleasure or gain
knew the offer of free pizza would be a major turn-on to the pair of teenagers she had just asked to help her move
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to thrill
to cause a pleasurable stimulation of the feelings
unsurprisingly, the fanboys were turned on by the movie's amazing special effects and slam-bang plot
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to trigger
to cause to function
would you turn on the TV?
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for turn (on)
Noun
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In spin fishing, the weight of the lure carries the line out to the water.—
Francesca Krempa, Outside, 15 Jan. 2026
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Even the lure of oil money makes little sense.—
Noun
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Writer-director Craig Brewer resists the temptation to make Mike and Claire in any way pitiful or worthy of derision.—
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The temptation when considering an experienced actor’s directorial debut is to see it as a glimpse into what matters most to them — or conversely, what matters least.—
Noun
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The eyes of K-pop superstars/demon hunters Rumi, Mira and Zoey (voiced by actors Arden Cho, May Hong and Ji-young Yoo) turn into giant red hearts to show physical attraction.—
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The Magic Kingdom land will feature two new major attractions, as well as dining and shopping.—
Noun
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The official boundaries of the new stadium incentive district have not yet been finalized.—
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The grocer will also receive a $50,000 retailer incentive bonus.—
Noun
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Gobel’s frenetic Papo poses and spins tales to cover up his fear and lack of confidence, and Anthony, with a thick Brooklyn accent and cringey come-ons, sees in Diane the music of love that’s been missing from his life.—
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Guests in attendance for this lavish soirée include George’s fellow intellectuals, a large number of dapper hedonists, the handsome horndog Judge Roland Brack (Nicholas Pinnock) — whose wolf-whistle come-ons are neither fully rebuffed nor reciprocated by Hedda — and Thea (Imogen Poots, wasted).—
Noun
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The best coaches get the most out of you in many ways, sometimes motivation and accountability being the biggest.—
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But his account of the motivation for the attack shifted.—
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Cite this Entry
“Turn (on).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/turn%20%28on%29. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
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