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Glite Dictionary
to turn a profit

to turn a profit

19 3.2
To earn more money than you spend running a business or project
  • phrasal verb
translation icon : obtener ganancias
  • The new cafe is finally starting to turn a profit after a slow first year.

It is their duty to turn a profit for the shareholders.

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Examples

  • The company is turning a profit once again, always a good sign.

    Fiction book (1992)

  • Our schools are growing and turning a profit, while your traditional style of teaching's becoming more obsolete by the day.

    The Debt Collector (2018)

  • It's really impossible to turn a profit if you serve real chicken.

    Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues (2013)

  • I figure I could fix it up and turn a profit.

    The Great Gatsby (1974)

  • Just enough to cover the rent for seven, eight months and then I'll start turning a profit.

    American Heist (2014)

  • How can I make my customers comfortable with my pricing but still turn a profit?

    Blog text (27)

  • We're going to turn a profit, make Schaeber's Family World bigger, better, and more famous than it's ever been.

    Fiction book (1992)

  • It is their duty to turn a profit for the shareholders.

    KenDBerryMD

  • We realize that fuel prices are soaring, and that airlines are having trouble turning a profit.

    Blog text (32)

  • Promoted posts won't be the last step Facebook takes to start turning a profit.

    Blog text (25)

Synonyms

to make
vsto turn a profit
∞ 1.3

To earn money from work or business

is about net surplus after costs rather than general receipts
to earn
vsto turn a profit
780 1.0

To get money for work you do or from a business

refers to net surplus after expenses rather than any payment received
to make money
vsto turn a profit
477 1.2

To get money by working or running a business

specifies net surplus after expenses rather than any income
to profit
vsto turn a profit
140 3.2

To get an advantage from something

narrows this to financial surplus after operating costs
to turn a nice penny
vsto turn a profit
  • UK
7.2

Make good money from a business or activity

focuses on net result after costs rather than general income
to turn a nice dollar
vsto turn a profit
  • Informal
7.8

Make a good amount of money from business or sales

focuses on net result after costs rather than a broad income source

Antonyms

loss
695 2.1

Money lost by a business or person

at a loss
7 4.3

Selling something for less than you paid for it

How Profitable

to turn a profit
19 3.2
to make money
477 1.2

Surface Forms

turn a profit infinitive
turned a profit past
turned a profit past participle
turning a profit present participle
turns a profit third person singular

Morphology

turn + a + profit

The overall meaning 'to make a profit' is related to the constituents because 'profit' is transparent and 'turn' is used here in the sense 'to yield/produce'. However, 'turn' has many senses (rotate, change, etc.), and the causative/produce reading may not be predictable for an average B1 learner without prior exposure. This gives a partial clue from the parts but not full predictability, so the expression is best classified as semi-transparent.

Etymology

Turn a profit may come from old shop talk where to turn meant to change goods into money by selling them, so when a sale left extra profit the shopkeeper had turned a profit. That's why today it means 'to make more money than you spend'.