take turns

idiomatic phrase

variants also British take it in turns

: to do something one after another in regular succession in order to share the responsibility or opportunity of doing it : alternate

We take turns washing the dishes.

Almost immediately, Rick and Diane begin videotaping their classroom lessons, letting their students take turns with the cameras.

—Ann Bradley

Several youths were around the phone, taking it in turns to gossip and joke with the operator.

—Christopher Isherwood

Examples of take turns in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The progress and backlash that Faludi identified tend not to take turns—the one giving, the other taking away—but instead to crash together. —Megan Garber, The Atlantic, 4 Nov. 2024

The brands San Andres Milano, Rose Society Atelier and Trashy Clothing took turns presenting their collections in the open gallery outside Palazzo Giureconsulti. —Fairchild Studio, WWD, 31 Oct. 2024

Mario Party to the Max An interactive multiplayer board game, Mario Party sees four players roll dice and take turns trying to collect stars. —PCMAG, 23 Oct. 2024

Guests took turns posing for photos down L’Avenue's photogenic staircase and among Le Chalet's banquets before taking their seats at a beautifully dressed table with an all-white floral theme. —Vogue, 9 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1613, in the meaning defined above