turnaround
B2Formal to Neutral. Common in business, management, logistics, and general reporting.
Definition
Meaning
A significant, often rapid, improvement, reversal, or complete change in direction, performance, or fortunes.
Also denotes the time required to complete a process from start to finish, especially in commercial, logistical, or service contexts.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Noun form of the phrasal verb 'turn around.' Conceptually implies a 180-degree change, moving from negative to positive or vice-versa, or completing a cycle.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Both use 'turnaround'. British English also commonly uses 'turn-round' (especially in transport/logistics), though 'turnaround' is dominant. American English exclusively uses 'turnaround'.
Connotations
Similar core connotations in both. In UK business contexts, may slightly more readily refer to physical logistics (e.g., ship/plane turn-round). In US, 'corporate turnaround' is a very strong collocation.
Frequency
Slightly more frequent in American business/media discourse.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[verb] + a/the + turnaround: achieve, engineer, stage, see, witness, plan, need.turnaround + [preposition] + [noun]: turnaround in (fortunes), turnaround for (the company), turnaround of (48 hours).adjective + turnaround: dramatic, rapid, remarkable, complete.Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “pull off a (remarkable) turnaround”
- “do a 180 (informal, related concept)”
- “a change for the better (related concept)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
The new CEO was hired to lead the corporate turnaround.
Academic
The study analysed the political turnaround in public opinion following the crisis.
Everyday
The weather did a complete turnaround; it was sunny this morning and now it's pouring.
Technical
The depot guarantees a 72-hour turnaround for locomotive servicing and inspection.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The management team hopes to turn around the struggling division by next quarter.
- It took a brilliant mechanic to turn that old car around.
American English
- The coach turned the team's season around with a new strategy.
- We can turn this project around if we focus on the core issues.
adjective
British English
- They quoted a three-day turnaround time for the repair.
- The turnaround document outlined the steps for the financial recovery.
American English
- The job has a 48-hour turnaround requirement.
- She was hired for her turnaround expertise in the manufacturing sector.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The football team's turnaround was amazing; they lost the first game but won the next three.
- The post office promises a quick turnaround for parcels.
- After a terrible first half, the player's performance saw a complete turnaround in the second.
- The company's financial turnaround was reported in all the newspapers.
- The new policy brought about a dramatic turnaround in the region's economic prospects.
- A fast turnaround between flights is essential for business travellers.
- The consultant was credited with engineering the remarkable turnaround in the company's market share.
- The laboratory's rapid turnaround of test results was critical during the health crisis.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a large truck stuck in a dead-end. To get out, it needs to TURN its direction AROUND completely. 'Turnaround' is that complete change of direction or fortune.
Conceptual Metaphor
PROGRESS/SUCCESS IS A JOURNEY; A TURNAROUND IS A REVERSAL OF DIRECTION ON THAT JOURNEY. FAILURE/SUCCESS ARE OPPOSITE DESTINATIONS.
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid direct translation with 'разворот' for non-physical/logistical contexts. 'Разворот' is literal (a U-turn). For figurative use, 'переломный момент', 'улучшение', 'оздоровление (компании)' are closer.
- Do not confuse with 'turn over' (оборот). 'Turnaround time' is 'время выполнения/цикла', not necessarily 'оборотное время'.
Common Mistakes
- Using it as a verb (INCORRECT: 'We need to turnaround the company.' CORRECT: 'We need to turn the company around' or 'We need a company turnaround.').
- Confusing 'turnaround' (improvement/reversal) with 'turnover' (rate of replacement or sales revenue).
- Misspelling as 'turn around' in noun contexts where it should be one word or hyphenated.
Practice
Quiz
In a business context, which phrase is most likely to be a headline about a 'turnaround'?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
As a noun or adjective, it is one word (turnaround) or sometimes hyphenated (turn-around). As a verb, it is the phrasal verb 'turn around' (two words).
'Turnaround' refers to a reversal/improvement or the time taken to complete a process. 'Turnover' refers to the rate at which employees leave/replace, or the total sales revenue of a business.
Its core meaning is neutral (a complete change), but it is most frequently used for a change from bad to good. Context is key: 'a shocking turnaround in policy' could be viewed negatively by some.
Yes, it's a very common fixed collocation in service, logistics, and project management, meaning the total time from receiving a task/order to its completion and return/delivery.