turn around

change something from bad to good or successful

B2

What does "turn sth around" mean?

To turn something around means to take a situation that is failing or going badly and make it successful again through deliberate effort. It almost always implies that someone — a leader, manager, coach, or government — has stepped in and made things better on purpose. The thing being turned around is typically an organisation, institution, or abstract situation: a company, a school, an economy, a campaign. This phrasal verb carries a sense of effort and strategy rather than gradual, natural recovery — if something improves on its own over time, you would not normally use 'turn around'. The related noun 'turnaround' (written as one word) appears frequently in the same contexts, so it is worth learning both together.

Examples

How to use it

turn + object + around

The most common pattern, used when the object is a short noun phrase. Separation is preferred here.

The new CEO managed to turn the company around in under a year.

turn around + longer object

When the object is a longer noun phrase, keeping the verb and particle together before the object sounds more natural.

She was hired specifically to turn around a chain of underperforming regional hospitals.

turn + pronoun + around

Pronouns must always go between 'turn' and 'around' — placing them after the particle is not grammatical.

The business was in serious trouble, but the new team turned it around remarkably quickly.

be turned around (passive)

The passive is common and natural, especially in journalism about businesses, economies, or campaigns being rescued.

The failing school was turned around within three years thanks to strong new leadership.

turn around + someone's fortunes / the situation / a decline

Abstract or figurative objects like 'fortunes', 'situation', or 'decline' are natural collocations with this phrasal verb.

A bold new strategy helped the coach turn around the team's fortunes before the end of the season.

Common Collocations

the economya companya failing schoolthe situationa teamsomeone's fortunes

Common Mistakes

Using it without an agent or object

In this sense, 'turn around' is transitive — it needs both a subject (the person doing the turning) and an object (what is being improved). Using it intransitively to describe something improving on its own is incorrect in this sense; use 'pick up' or 'recover' instead.

✗ The economy finally turned around after several difficult years.
✓ The government managed to turn the economy around after several difficult years. / The economy finally picked up after several difficult years.
Pronoun placed after the particle

When the object is a pronoun, it must go between 'turn' and 'around'. Placing it after 'around' is ungrammatical.

✗ The situation was terrible, but the new manager turned around it.
✓ The situation was terrible, but the new manager turned it around.
Confusing this sense with the physical or processing senses

This sense of 'turn around' specifically means reversing a negative trend in an organisation or situation. If you are writing about someone physically changing direction, or about completing a task within a timeframe, those are different senses entirely. A useful check: the object here should always be something institutional or abstract, like a company, a team, or an economy.

Usage

This phrasal verb is common in both spoken and written English, especially in business, politics, and sports. The related noun 'turnaround' (written as one word) is also very frequent and useful to learn alongside it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does 'turn around' always suggest that one specific person caused the improvement?

In this sense, yes — almost always. The phrasal verb implies that someone actively intervened with effort and strategy, rather than things simply getting better on their own. There is usually a clear agent, such as a new manager, a government, or a coach. If you want to describe improvement that happens without a clear cause, 'pick up' or 'recover' are more natural choices.

Can I use 'turn around' in the present continuous, like 'we are turning it around'?

It is possible but slightly unusual. Because this phrasal verb describes the result of a deliberate process rather than an action happening moment by moment, the simple present, simple past, and present perfect tend to sound more natural. The present continuous works if you want to emphasise an active, ongoing rescue effort — for example, 'We are turning the department around, but it will take time.'

What kinds of things can be 'turned around'?

The most common objects are organisations and institutions — companies, businesses, schools, sports teams, campaigns, and economies. You can also 'turn around' more abstract things like a situation, a deficit, someone's fortunes, or a decline in performance. The object is almost always something that was previously failing or heading in the wrong direction.

Is 'turnaround' (one word) related to this phrasal verb?

Yes — 'turnaround' is the noun form and is used in exactly the same contexts. You might say 'The new director achieved a remarkable turnaround' instead of using the phrasal verb. It is very common in business journalism and management writing, so it is useful to learn the two forms together.

Is this phrasal verb more common in British or American English?

It is equally common in both British and American English. You will find it used in business, politics, and sports reporting on both sides of the Atlantic, and it carries the same meaning in both varieties.

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