Phrase guide

turn in

verb · 9 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

verb

Meaning 1

To submit something; to give.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: idiomatic, transitive

Examples

  • He turned in his paperwork to the main office.
  • The actors turned in a formulaic performance.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: hand in, accord, add, assign, award, bestow, bequeath, confer, contribute, deliver, do, donate, furnish, give, give away, grant, hand, hand over, make over, minister, pass, present, provide, render, supply, turn in, turn over

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To relinquish; give up; to tell on someone to the authorities (especially to turn someone in).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: idiomatic, transitive

Examples

  • The thief finally turned himself in at the police station.
  • My nosy next-door neighbor turned me in for building my garage without a permit.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: capitulate, submit, relinquish, give up, abandon, bend, cave in, cede, deplore, fall in line, give over, give in, give way, knuckle under, surrender, strike one's flag, strike the colors, strike the flag, throw in the towel, throw up one's hands, turn in, wave the white flag, yield, inform, grass up, snitch, bewray, blow the whistle, clepe, denounce, dime, dime out, dob, drop a dime, drop a dime on someone, finger, fink, fizgig, inform on, grass on, lolly up, name names, nark, peach, rat on, rat out, roll on, sing, snitch up, squeak, squeal, tattle, tell, tell all, tell on, tell tales, tip off

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

To go to bed; to retire to bed.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: idiomatic, intransitive

Examples

  • I'm tired, so I think I'll turn in early tonight.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: hit the sack, retire, couch a hogshead, go to bed, go to sleep, hit the hay, seek one's virtuous couch, turn in, turn into a pumpkin

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

To convert a goal using a turning motion of the body.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: ball-games, games, hobbies, lifestyle, soccer, sports

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

verb

Meaning 5

To reverse the ends of threads and insert them back into the piece being woven so they do not protrude and eventually unravel.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: business, manufacturing, textiles, weaving

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

verb

Meaning 6

prepare for sleep

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • I usually turn in at midnight
  • He goes to bed at the crack of dawn

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: go to bed, bed, crawl in, kip down, hit the hay, hit the sack, sack out, go to sleep, retire

Antonyms: turn out

Narrower terms: bed down, bunk down

7

verb

Meaning 7

carry out (performances)

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • They turned in a splendid effort
  • They turned in top jobs for the second straight game

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: put on

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: make, create

8

verb

Meaning 8

make an entrance by turning from a road

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • Turn in after you see the gate

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: enter, come in, get into, get in, go into, go in, move into

9

verb

Meaning 9

to surrender someone or something to another

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the guard delivered the criminal to the police
  • render up the prisoners
  • render the town to the enemy
  • fork over the money

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: hand over, fork over, fork out, fork up, deliver, render

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: pass, hand, reach, pass on, turn over, give

Narrower terms: bail, give away

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

51 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Catalan: entregar — to submit something
  • Finnish: antaa — to submit something
  • Finnish: luovuttaa — to submit something
  • Finnish: palauttaa — to submit something
  • Galician: entregar — to submit something
  • German: einreichen — to submit something
  • German: einschicken — to submit something
  • German: abliefern — to submit something
  • Hebrew: הִגִּישׁ (higísh) — to submit something
  • Hungarian: bead — to submit something
  • Hungarian: lead — to submit something
  • Hungarian: benyújt — to submit something
  • Māori: tāpae — to submit something
  • Portuguese: entregar — to submit something
  • Romanian: preda — to submit something
  • Russian: сдава́ть (sdavátʹ) — to submit something
  • Russian: сдать (sdatʹ) — to submit something
  • Spanish: entregar — to submit something
  • Ukrainian: здава́ти (zdaváty) — to submit something
  • Ukrainian: зда́ти (zdáty) — to submit something
  • Catalan: entregar — to relinquish; to tell on someone to the authorities
  • Chinese Mandarin: 自首 (zìshǒu) — to relinquish; to tell on someone to the authorities
  • Danish: melde — to relinquish; to tell on someone to the authorities
  • Danish: anmelde — to relinquish; to tell on someone to the authorities
  • Danish: angive — to relinquish; to tell on someone to the authorities
  • Finnish: ilmiantaa — to relinquish; to tell on someone to the authorities
  • Finnish: antaa ilmi — to relinquish; to tell on someone to the authorities
  • French: dénoncer — to relinquish; to tell on someone to the authorities
  • Galician: entregar — to relinquish; to tell on someone to the authorities
  • German: anzeigen — to relinquish; to tell on someone to the authorities
  • Hungarian: felad — to relinquish; to tell on someone to the authorities
  • Hungarian: feldob — to relinquish; to tell on someone to the authorities
  • Hungarian: felnyom — to relinquish; to tell on someone to the authorities
  • Hungarian: beköp — to relinquish; to tell on someone to the authorities
  • Italian: consegnare — to relinquish; to tell on someone to the authorities
  • Māori: tuku — to relinquish; to tell on someone to the authorities
  • Norwegian: melde seg — to relinquish; to tell on someone to the authorities
  • Portuguese: entregar — to relinquish; to tell on someone to the authorities
  • Russian: выдава́ть (vydavátʹ) — to relinquish; to tell on someone to the authorities
  • Russian: вы́дать (výdatʹ) — to relinquish; to tell on someone to the authorities
  • Russian: сдава́ть (sdavátʹ) — to relinquish; to tell on someone to the authorities
  • Russian: сдать (sdatʹ) — to relinquish; to tell on someone to the authorities
  • Spanish: entregar — to relinquish; to tell on someone to the authorities
  • Swedish: ange — to relinquish; to tell on someone to the authorities
  • Danish: krybe til køjs — to go to bed
  • German: sich aufs Ohr legen — to go to bed
  • German: sich hinhauen — to go to bed
  • German: umschlagen — to follow a technique used in weaving
  • German: säumen — to follow a technique used in weaving
  • German: einschlagen — to follow a technique used in weaving
  • Māori: tapiki — to follow a technique used in weaving