turning point
104
3.7
- noun
- /ˈtɜrnɪŋ pɔɪnt/
- The second half of the nineteenth century was a turning point in the history of French philosophy.
- turning point in history
- marked a turning point
- a major turning point
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Watch on YouTubeNow here is where the turning point comes, right?
- Now here is where the turning point comes, right?
- But the real turning point for me was my youngest daughter.
- They don't really look for turning points the same way an audience does.
- And it actually was the turning point from print media to radio.
- One specific encounter here at Radcliffe had been the turning point for my project.
- And the big turning point moment was at the Nantucket project.
- The Three Mile Island accident was a turning point in the growth of nuclear power.
- And so this is going to be a turning point in the story.
- And it, it was, it was a real turning point for the film.
- That was that really kind of was a turning point for me.
- But it is definitely going to be a turning point in the history of mankind.
- And I feel like we're, we're, we're inching up towards a turning point with all of this.
- Or I mean, was there like some a turning point, like a specific incident?
- And I think that that was that was an important turning point in my engagement with technology too.
- I think all those things, they help, but really the turning point was when I found my first mentor.
Examples
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Community colleges and universities are now at a crucial turning point in their history.
Academic text (1990) -
The Three Mile Island accident was a turning point in the growth of nuclear power.
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And it actually was the turning point from print media to radio.
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So we are at a turning point in terms of our economic system.
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Now, this was a major turning point in American history.
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Every war has its turning point.
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The year 1917 can be seen as a turning point in modern history.
Academic text (1992) -
This was a turning point for me, a call to action to live up to the ideals I believed in.
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The advent of extended television news was a turning point for television, a medium originally devoted to entertainment.
Academic text (2017) -
The fall of the Berlin Wall was a significant turning point in world history.
Synonyms
131
3.2
A sudden big change or increase
43
5.3
A moment when a small event causes a big, lasting change
35
4.1
A sudden change in a situation that makes plans or results different
16
6.3
A point in time when something is about to change
16
4.4
An important event that marks a big change in history or progress
14
5.8
An important event or time that marks a big change
6
6.3
An event that causes a very important change in a person's life or history
5
3.9
A time when you must make an important choice that affects the future
4
7.5
A moment when a situation changes in an important way
2
4.9
A moment when an important change happens or people make a key decision
A time when an important change happens in a story or process
A sudden change that gives the other side the advantage
Antonyms
How Significant
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'an event or moment when a significant change happens' is directly and predictably built from 'turning' (a change or shift) + 'point' (a specific moment or stage). This compositional metaphor (a point where things turn) is transparent and cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents should be able to infer the meaning.
Etymology
The phrase turning point comes from the image of a road or path that reaches a point where it starts turning. So a 'turning point' is a moment when things change direction and what happens next is different.