Meaning & use
turn into
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Meanings
phrasephrasal verb
to change and become something or someone different
Grammar: No object; the subject is the thing that changes: The caterpillar turned into a butterfly.
Patterns
- turn into something
- turn into someone
The caterpillar turned into a butterfly.
After the accident, the quiet street turned into a noisy building site.
He turned into a different person when he started his new job.
phrasetransitive
to make someone or something change into something else
Grammar: Takes an object: The witch turned the prince into a frog.
Patterns
- turn someone into something
- turn something into something
The witch turned the prince into a frog.
The director turned the old factory into a museum.
She turned her hobby into a successful business.
Common combinations
- turn into a nightmare
- The trip turned into a nightmare when they lost their passports.
- turn into a habit
- Checking your phone first thing can turn into a habit.
- turn into something else
- The conversation quickly turned into something else.
- turn into a pumpkin
- In the fairy tale, the carriage turns into a pumpkin at midnight.
Synonyms and how they differ
- become
- More formal and used with adjectives or nouns, but it doesn't take 'into': She became a doctor. Not 'She became into a doctor'.
- transform into
- Stronger and more dramatic, often used for major changes: The room transformed into a stage.
- convert into
- Used for changing something's use or form, often buildings or money: They converted the barn into a house.
Commonly confused: turn into or turn in? turn into or turn on?
turn into vs turn in
Means to go to bed or to hand something in. 'Turn into' means to become.
turn into vs turn on
Means to switch on a device or to attack someone suddenly. 'Turn into' is about change.
Practice
The old cinema was turned ___ a supermarket last year.
Choose one answer.
'Turned into' means it became a supermarket. 'Turned on' means switched on, 'turned in' means handed in or went to bed, and 'turned up' means arrived or increased.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “turn into”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.