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to turn out

to turn out

10 4.9
To make someone leave a place
  • phrasal verb
  • /tɜrn aʊt/
  • Informal
translation icon : echar a la calle
  • He'd never felt such pain, not even when his own family turned him out.

Examples

  • The landlord decided to turn out the tenants after they failed to pay rent.

  • When the police arrived, they had to turn out the unruly crowd from the bar.

  • So the teacher turned him out

  • I can't turn you out in the street now.

  • Allebe turned his son out of the parental home and forbade him to enter it ever again.

    Academic text (1995)
  • And I must tell you, that before I let it be destroyed by your petty tyrannies, by your callous inhumanities, sir, I'm going to recommend to the board that you be turned out into the street.

  • After several warnings, the coach had no choice but to turn out the players who were not following the rules.

Synonyms

to turn
vsto turn out
698 7.8

Refuse to let someone enter or stay

is the broad act of forcing departure without highlighting refusal context
to kick out
vsto turn out
512 3.0

Force someone to leave a place or group

is a neutral forcing action without implying abruptness
to exclude
vsto turn out
338 3.0

To keep someone or something out so they are not part of something

is an active act of forcing someone to leave rather than passive exclusion
to throw out
vsto turn out
236 3.0

To force someone to leave a place, job, or group

is the basic act of making someone leave without motive detail
to expel
vsto turn out
194 5.0

Force someone to leave a place, such as a school or country, often by official order

is the everyday forcing out rather than a formal action
to drive out
vsto turn out
70 3.8

Force someone or something to leave a place

is the specific action of making someone leave a place
to force out
vsto turn out
46 4.4

To make someone leave a job by pressure or threats

is the general act of forcing someone to leave without method detail
to move out
vsto turn out
36 2.8

To make someone or something leave a place

is a stronger forced departure rather than a simple relocation
to eject
vsto turn out
32 4.2

Force someone to leave a place

is the broad idea of making someone leave without stressing force type
to cast out
vsto turn out
31 6.2

Force someone to leave a group or place because others reject them

is the basic forcing-out without the strong rejection emphasis
to boot out
vsto turn out
  • Informal
15 5.8

Force someone to leave a job or organization suddenly

is the same forcing idea but without the informal tone
to send packing
vsto turn out
  • Informal
8 6.5

To make someone leave quickly to show they are not wanted

is the neutral forcing action without the clear rejection signal
to send someone packing
vsto turn out
  • Informal
4 7.9

Make someone leave quickly and forcefully

is the general expelling action without emphasis on abrupt dismissal
to kick-out
vsto turn out
1 4.0

To force someone to leave a place, group or job

is the general idea of expulsion without stressing sudden push
to rout out
vsto turn out
1 7.1

To force someone or something out of a place by searching

is the plain expelling idea without search or authority detail
to turf out
vsto turn out
  • UK
1 8.2

Force someone to leave a place or job

is the simple act of making someone leave without slangy force
to chuck out
vsto turn out
  • UK
1 5.0

To force someone to leave a place usually because they cause trouble

is focused on people being expelled rather than discarding things

Antonyms

583 1.0

Greet someone in a friendly way when they arrive

188 1.6

Allow someone to enter a place

How Forceful

to oust
80 6.2
to evict
77 4.6
to expel
194 5.0
to turn out
  • Informal
10 4.9
to throw out
236 3.0
to show someone the door
  • Informal
5 6.4
escort
175 4.0

Surface Forms

turn out infinitive
turned out past
turned out past participle
turning out present participle
turns out third person singular

Morphology

turn + out

The dressing sense is only partially derivable from the constituents: 'turn' (change) + 'out' (outward) can be linked to altering outward appearance, but the specific meaning 'dress/equip someone' depends on knowing the phrasal-verb usage rather than pure composition. Because 'turn out' has several unrelated senses and the connection to clothing is metaphorical and not fully predictable, a B1 learner who only knows the words may not reliably infer this meaning.

Etymology

Turn out can be pictured as pushing someone so they go out of a room and into the street, a direct image of making them leave. So it means 'to force someone to leave' a place.