take turns
idiomatic phrase
variants
also British take it in turns
: to do something one after another in regular succession in order to share the responsibility or opportunity of doing it : alternate
We take turns washing the dishes.
Almost immediately, Rick and Diane begin videotaping their classroom lessons, letting their students take turns with the cameras.—
Ann Bradley
Ann BradleySeveral youths were around the phone, taking it in turns to gossip and joke with the operator.—Christopher Isherwood
Christopher IsherwoodExamples of take turns in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The cover star, the actress Cristin Milioti, was there, and partygoers took turns posing in doorways or perched on sofas for their social media feeds.
—Marisa Meltzer, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2025
Four of its Vanguard submarines take turns in being constantly deployed around the U.K., unseen but armed with nuclear missiles.
—John W. Dean, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Apr. 2025
In turn, that is based upon the classic pen-and-paper strategy game in which players place their fleet of ships on a grid of paper that their opponent cannot see and then take turns trying to locate and sink each other’s vessels.
—Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 31 Mar. 2025
Photo : Courtesy of Mecum Auctions The cockpit where French racers Maurice Trintignant and Guy Ligier took turns behind the wheel during the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1965.
—Howard Walker, Robb Report, 24 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for take turns
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Marisa Meltzer, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2025
Four of its Vanguard submarines take turns in being constantly deployed around the U.K., unseen but armed with nuclear missiles.
—John W. Dean, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Apr. 2025
In turn, that is based upon the classic pen-and-paper strategy game in which players place their fleet of ships on a grid of paper that their opponent cannot see and then take turns trying to locate and sink each other’s vessels.
—Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 31 Mar. 2025
Photo : Courtesy of Mecum Auctions The cockpit where French racers Maurice Trintignant and Guy Ligier took turns behind the wheel during the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1965.
—Howard Walker, Robb Report, 24 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for take turns
Cite this Entry
“Take turns.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/take%20turns. Accessed 18 Apr. 2025.
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