turn of events
35
4.1
- noun
- Her sudden decision to move abroad marked a significant turn of events in her life.
- dramatic turn of events
- latest turn of events
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Watch on YouTubeThis is this is a horrible turn of events.
- This is this is a horrible turn of events.
- Well, today we have a turn of events.
- The lesbians are getting married and then in a rather surprising turn of events, it's not finished.
Examples
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Consequently, little change can be expected short of a dramatic and unexpected turn of events.
Academic text (1997) -
It's an astonishing turn of events.
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This is quite a turn of events.
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What you are seeing here is a sad turn of events indeed.
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A new turn of events will soon come about.
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What a turn of events!
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What an extraordinary turn of events.
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And then in a turn of events, we lost everything and it was pretty devastating.
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But I was also stimulated by the turn of events that my friend's life had taken.
Fiction book (1993) -
Caught completely off guard by this sudden turn of events, he was befuddled.
Fiction book (2001)
Synonyms
343
3.4
A sudden change in a situation or story
232
4.1
A sudden change in a story or situation that surprises people
152
4.4
A change in the usual way of doing things in a group or organization
131
3.2
A sudden big change or increase
104
3.7
A moment when an important event changes what happens next
9
9.5
A sudden swap that surprises and tricks people
2
4.9
A moment when an important change happens or people make a key decision
2
4.2
A surprising event in a story that changes the expected outcome
A sudden change in a story when a character's luck turns bad
A sudden dramatic surprise in a play or story that shocks the audience
A sudden change that gives the other side the advantage
A time when an important change happens in a story or process
Antonyms
How Significant
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly compositional: 'turn' (a change) + 'of' (linking) + 'events' (occurrences) yields 'a change in events', so the phrase denotes a change in the course of events. This straightforward noun + of + noun pattern is common across languages and follows regular English composition, so a B1 learner who knows the constituent words would readily infer the meaning.
Etymology
The phrase turn of events paints a picture of a line of events like a road that suddenly turns. That's why it means 'an unexpected or important change'.