turn against
phrasal verb
turned against; turning against; turns against
1
: to stop supporting or being friendly to (someone or something)
The senator eventually turned against the war.
She turned against her best friend.
2
: to cause (someone) to stop being friendly toward (someone)
He tried to turn our friends against us.
3
: to use (something) in a way that harms or discredits (someone)
Her political opponent tried to turn her many years of experience in Washington against her.
Examples of turn against in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Jane turned against Sinatra over a video game console, of all things, and shows up at the standoff between Sinatra and Xavier just in time to shoot Sinatra in the right spot to keep her alive but incapacitated.
—
Kelly Lawler, USA TODAY, 4 Mar. 2025
These urbanists have been inching toward the political center, seeing the logic in development and turning against some progressive icons.
—Benjamin Wallace-Wells, The New Yorker, 3 Mar. 2025
One of the gang member’s girlfriends turned against them and informed the sheriff that the gang would be heading north on a certain day.
—Phillip Valys, Sun Sentinel, 1 Mar. 2025
Tanveer Jafri said his mother had been disappointed, not only by the lack of accountability but also by the way her fight for justice had been turned against people like Ms. Setalvad, who had dedicated herself to the cause.
—Hari Kumar, New York Times, 17 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for turn against
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Kelly Lawler, USA TODAY, 4 Mar. 2025
These urbanists have been inching toward the political center, seeing the logic in development and turning against some progressive icons.
—Benjamin Wallace-Wells, The New Yorker, 3 Mar. 2025
One of the gang member’s girlfriends turned against them and informed the sheriff that the gang would be heading north on a certain day.
—Phillip Valys, Sun Sentinel, 1 Mar. 2025
Tanveer Jafri said his mother had been disappointed, not only by the lack of accountability but also by the way her fight for justice had been turned against people like Ms. Setalvad, who had dedicated herself to the cause.
—Hari Kumar, New York Times, 17 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for turn against
Cite this Entry
“Turn against.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/turn%20against. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
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