turn to

To ask a person or organization for help or advice.

• You can turn to me for help.
• He turned to a lawyer for advice.
• Who did you turn to when things went wrong?

How to use it: turn to someone for something (She turned to her sister for advice.)

Similar words: ask, consult, seek help from

Common phrases: turn to someone, turn to friends, turn to experts

To change into a different thing or state.

• The water turned to ice.
• Their joy soon turned to sadness.
• The abandoned building has turned to dust.

How to use it: turn to something (The puddles turned to ice overnight.)

Similar words: become, turn into

Common phrases: turn to dust, turn to ice, turn to anger

To begin using something or doing something to deal with a difficult situation.

• She turned to music during a lonely winter.
• Some people turn to alcohol when they feel anxious.
• He had turned to stealing to feed his family.

How to use it: turn to something (After losing his job, he turned to gambling.); turn to doing something (They turned to selling their belongings to pay the rent.)

Similar words: resort to

Common phrases: turn to alcohol, turn to crime, turn to something

To begin giving your attention or effort to a particular subject or activity.

• Let us turn to the next question.
• After lunch, we turned to planning the trip.
• He turned to painting late in life.

How to use it: turn to something (The discussion turned to the cost of the project.); turn to doing something (She turned to writing stories after retirement.)

Similar words: focus on, take up, address

Common phrases: turn to writing, turn to something, turn to business

To make someone or something change into a different thing or state.

• The cold turned the water to ice.
• The fire turned our furniture to ash.
• In the story, a spell turned the prince to stone.

How to use it: turn someone/something to something (The fire turned the papers to ash.)

Similar words: transform, turn into, convert

Common phrases: turn something to dust, turn someone to stone, turn something to ash

To begin working hard, especially when sailors are told to do their jobs.

• The captain ordered the crew to turn to.
• We turned to and cleaned the deck.
• Everyone must turn to before the ship leaves.

Similar words: get to work, set to

Opposites: stop work

Common phrases: turn to now, turn to immediately, turn to again