Word.ws English Dictionary

turned a phrase

turned a phrase is the simple past and past participle of turn a phrase.

Meaning of turn a phrase

Verb

turn a phrase (third-person singular simple present turns a phrase, present participle turning a phrase, simple past and past participle turned a phrase)

  1. (idiomatic) To create a particular linguistic expression which is strikingly clear, appropriate, and memorable.
    • Gerard coloured all over at the compliment; but not knowing how to turn a phrase equal to the occasion, asked her if he should resume her picture.1861, Charles Reade, chapter 61, in The Cloister and the Hearth

Questions about turned a phrase

What is turned a phrase the simple past and past participle of?
Turned a phrase is the simple past and past participle of turn a phrase.

Words near turned a phrase in the dictionary

  1. turned a corner
  2. turned a deaf ear
  3. turned a hair
  4. turned a number of shades of red
  5. turned a page
  6. turned a phrase
  7. turned a profit
  8. turned a setback into a comeback
  9. turned a trick
  10. turned about
  11. turned again

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: turned a phrase (page history and authors); turn a phrase (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

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Cite this entry: “turned a phrase.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/turned_a_phrase. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.