Meaning
Turn to means to go to someone or something for help, advice, support, or comfort, or to start doing or using something, especially because you have no other choice.
Grammar and Usage
- Phrasal verb
- Intransitive / Transitive, depending on usage
- Common structures:
- turn to + person (for help/support)
- turn to + thing (as a solution/last resort)
- turn to + activity/substance (begin using, often negative)
Usage Patterns
-
turn to someone (for help/support)
- “When in trouble, many people turn to their friends.”
-
turn to something (as a solution)
- “The company turned to a new strategy.”
-
turn to + noun (begin doing/using)
- Often negative or problematic.
- “He turned to alcohol when stressed.”
Common Phrases
- turn to someone for advice
- turn to someone for support
- turn to something in desperation
- turn to alcohol/drugs
- turn to a new method/approach
Collocations
- turn to help
- turn to friends/family
- turn to experts
- turn to alcohol/drugs
- turn to technology
- turn to a new strategy
Examples
- When she felt overwhelmed, she turned to her mentor for guidance.
- Many students turn to online tools when studying alone.
- The company turned to automation to reduce costs.
- Under pressure, he turned to unhealthy habits.
- If you ever need help, you can always turn to me.
- With no options left, they turned to the government for assistance.
- He turned to meditation as a way to manage stress.
- The team turned to data analysis to solve the issue.
Synonyms or Related
- rely on
- depend on
- seek help from
- look to
- resort to
- go to
Antonym
- avoid
- ignore
- turn away from