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
The withholding nature of Chernin’s Leo poses some theatrical risks but goes a long way toward explaining how the character’s otherness could be turned against him in such a malignant way.
—
Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 20 June 2025
Public sentiment had turned against the war in Vietnam, and the Marines found that many of their fellow Americans were indifferent — or sometimes even hostile — to their military service, Sauro said.
—Nick Woltman, Twin Cities, 15 June 2025
And there are whiffs that Los Angeles is merely a test case to see just how compliant Americans will be to see the world’s greatest fighting force turn against the very people who pick up its tab.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 11 June 2025
This isn’t because Democrats have suddenly turned against transgender people.
—Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 10 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for turn against
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Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 20 June 2025
Public sentiment had turned against the war in Vietnam, and the Marines found that many of their fellow Americans were indifferent — or sometimes even hostile — to their military service, Sauro said.
—Nick Woltman, Twin Cities, 15 June 2025
And there are whiffs that Los Angeles is merely a test case to see just how compliant Americans will be to see the world’s greatest fighting force turn against the very people who pick up its tab.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 11 June 2025
This isn’t because Democrats have suddenly turned against transgender people.
—Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 10 June 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 27 Jun. 2025.
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