Dictionary

turnaround en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˈtɜɹnəˌɹaʊnd/ (General-American)
• /ˈtɜːnəˌɹaʊnd/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

Deverbal from turn around.

Meanings

1. (countable, uncountable) The act of turning to face in the other direction.
   • The basketball player made a turnaround jump shot.
2. (countable, uncountable) A reversal of policy.
3. (countable, uncountable) The carrying out of a task; the time required to carry it out.
   • They tried to reduce their turnaround time on incoming paperwork. [noun adjunct form]
   • They tried to reduce their turnaround on incoming paperwork.
4. (countable, uncountable) A turnabout; a reversal of circumstances.
   • Drogba's goal early in the second half - his fourth in this Wembley showpiece - proved decisive as the remarkable turnaround in Chelsea's fortunes under interim manager Roberto di Matteo was rewarded with silverware. 2012 May 5, Phil McNulty, “Chelsea 2-1 Liverpool”, in BBC Sport, archived from the original on 11 Feb 2026:
5. (countable, uncountable) A series of sketches of a character as seen from different angles.
   • Many media arts companies use turnarounds to ensure that when you draw the character you know what it looks like from the front, the side and the back. 2012, Bryan Tillman, Creative Character Design, page 134:
6. (countable, uncountable) A cadence linking the end of a verse to the beginning of the next.
7. (countable, uncountable) The notation for the addition of a grace note above then below a given note.
8. (US, countable, historical, uncountable) Synonym of goback.
9. (countable, uncountable) The scheduled shutdown of an industrial plant, such as an oil rig, for maintenance and testing.
10. (countable, uncountable) A contractual provision by which, if the studio elects to abandon a film project, the producer has a limited period in which to sell it elsewhere.
11. (countable, uncountable) Preparations for takeoff, such as loading and servicing.
12. (countable, uncountable) The relaying of a satellite signal.
    • A new company […] has been set up to provide satellite turnaround and fiber connectivity facilities between Asia and Europe. 1999, Cyprus Embassy Newsletter, page 4:

Forms

Deriveds

turnaround artist · turnaround time

Relateds

turnover · overturn

Synonyms

goback · U-turn · U-turn

Translations (12)

de Kehrtwendung (Translations) · pt torneio (Translations) · de Richtungsänderung (Translations) · fi suunnanmuutos (Translations) · tr geri dönüm (Translations) · fi täyskäännös (Translations) · de Umschwung (Translations) · gl volta (Translations) · pt volta (Translations) · pt giro (Translations) · de Wende (Translations) · tr geri dönme (Translations)