turn out
2 meanings
happen in the end or be shown to be true
What does "turn out" mean in this sense?
Examples
- The house turned out to be much smaller than it looked in the photos.
- We were worried about the trip, but everything turned out well in the end.
- As it turns out, the email was sent to the wrong address.
How to use it
Use this pattern with 'it' as a dummy subject to introduce a surprising fact or discovery, especially in storytelling.
It turned out that the café we were looking for had closed months ago.
Use this to say what someone or something was discovered or proved to be.
The old painting turned out to be worth a lot of money.
Use this to describe a discovered action or state rather than a quality.
The stranger turned out to know my sister from university.
Use an adverb after 'turn out' when describing the overall result of a situation without specifying what it proved to be.
We were nervous before the presentation, but it all turned out well.
Use this phrase in the middle or at the start of a sentence to introduce information that is surprising or new.
I thought the hotel was expensive, but, as it turns out, prices are the same everywhere in the city.
Common Collocations
Common Mistakes
Learners sometimes drop 'to be' and place the complement directly after 'turn out'. This sounds unnatural — you need 'to be' before a noun or adjective.
'Work out' suggests a successful or positive result, but 'turn out' is neutral — it can describe both good and bad outcomes. Don't use 'work out' when the result is negative.
'Turn out' in this sense describes a moment of discovery or a final result, so the present continuous ('is turning out') sounds unnatural in most situations. Stick to the simple tenses.
Usage
Very common in both spoken and written English, often used in storytelling to reveal something surprising or unexpected. Master the patterns 'It turned out that...' and 'It turned out to be...' — both are extremely natural and frequent.
come to an event or gathering
Sense 2: What does "turn out" mean?
Examples
- Thousands of fans turned out to welcome the team home after their championship win.
- Despite the heavy rain, supporters still turned out in large numbers for the outdoor concert.
- Will enough voters turn out on election day to make a difference?
How to use it
The most common structure, where a collective or plural human subject attends a specific event.
Thousands of supporters turned out for the open-air concert in the city centre.
Used to emphasise the scale of attendance; common phrases include 'in large numbers', 'in their thousands', 'in force', and 'in record numbers'.
Local residents turned out in force to celebrate the town's centenary.
Specifies the purpose for attending; the infinitive explains what people gathered to do.
Voters turned out in record numbers to cast their ballots in the election.
Used after verbs like 'expect', 'hope', or 'fail' when talking about predicted or desired attendance.
Organisers had hoped that more people would turn out for the charity fundraiser.
Highlights that people attended even though something made it difficult, such as bad weather or distance.
Fans still turned out despite the freezing temperatures and strong winds.
Common Collocations
Common Mistakes
This is the most important trap with this phrasal verb. When 'turn out' means attend, the subject must be people or a crowd; when it means result, the subject is usually a situation or thing. Mixing them up can cause real misunderstanding.
Unlike many action verbs, this sense of 'turn out' sounds unnatural in the present continuous. Use the simple present, past, or future instead.
'Turn out' in this sense is intransitive — it never takes a direct object, so nothing should be placed between the two words.
Usage
This sense is neutral in register and common in news and sports reporting. It often appears with expressions of number or scale (e.g., 'in their thousands', 'in force', 'in record numbers') to emphasise the size of the crowd.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does 'turn out' always suggest something surprising?
Not always, but it often does carry a feeling of contrast with what was expected. It is very common in situations where something is different from what people assumed or hoped. When the result matches expectations, speakers often choose a simpler verb like 'prove' instead.
Can 'turn out' describe a bad result as well as a good one?
Yes, 'turn out' is completely neutral about whether the result is positive or negative. You can say 'it turned out to be a great decision' or 'it turned out to be a terrible mistake' — both are equally natural.
Does 'turn out' have other meanings I should know about?
Yes, 'turn out' has a few other meanings in English, such as attending an event or switching off a light. This page covers only the meaning of discovering or proving something to be true, which is the most common sense you will encounter.
Can I use 'turn out' to talk about people as well as things?
Absolutely. People, plans, decisions, objects, and situations can all be the subject. For example: 'She turned out to be a really talented musician' or 'The decision turned out to be the right one'.
Is 'it turns out that' only used for past situations?
No — 'it turns out that' in the present simple is commonly used to share something you have just discovered or realised, even if you are talking about a current situation. For example: 'It turns out that the meeting is tomorrow, not today.'
Does 'turn out' always mean attend? I've seen it used in very different ways.
No — 'turn out' has more than one common meaning. This sense specifically means to come to an event, and the subject is always people or a group ('crowds turned out', 'voters turned out'). When you see a non-human subject or result-oriented language ('it turned out well'), that's a different sense. Context, especially the subject of the sentence, is the clearest guide.
What kinds of events can people 'turn out' for?
This phrasal verb is most naturally used for public or organised events — elections, protests, sports matches, concerts, celebrations, parades, and ceremonies. It emphasises collective attendance rather than one person simply arriving, so it works best when you're talking about groups or crowds.
Is 'turn out' more common in spoken or written English for this meaning?
It's common in both, but you'll encounter it most often in written contexts like news articles, sports reports, and political coverage. Phrases like 'thousands turned out' or 'voters turned out in record numbers' are very typical of journalism. In casual speech, people more often say 'show up' or 'come out'.
What is 'voter turnout'? Is it related to this phrasal verb?
Yes, 'voter turnout' is the noun form of this sense of 'turn out', referring to the number or proportion of eligible voters who attend an election. It's extremely common in political reporting. The noun 'turnout' can also describe attendance at other events, such as 'The concert had an impressive turnout.'
Can I use 'turn out' to describe just one person attending something?
Technically yes, but it sounds unusual for a single person — this verb strongly implies collective attendance and is most natural with plural or group subjects. If you want to say one person attended, 'show up' or 'turn up' would sound more natural.
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