Definition

1. Verb:
   • To perform an action or share a responsibility one after another in a repeated, agreed-upon order. It implies a sense of fairness and cooperation where individuals alternate in a role or task so that each person gets an equal opportunity.

Usage

• The core meaning is to alternate or rotate in doing something. It is used when describing a situation where two or more people agree to do the same thing one after the other, rather than all at once or leaving it to just one person.
• It is an intransitive phrasal verb. The activity being shared is often introduced with a prepositional phrase (e.g., "at," "with," "doing the dishes") or a gerund.

Examples

• Basic Usage:
  • The children take turns pushing each other on the swing. (They alternate between being the pusher and the one being pushed.)
  • We take turns cooking dinner so no one gets tired of it. (The responsibility for cooking rotates among us.)
  • To be fair, let's take turns answering the questions. (We will alternate who provides the answer.)

Advanced Usage

• "take turns at [something]": Emphasizes the specific activity or role being shared.
  • The drivers take turns at the wheel during long trips.
• "take turns (in) doing something": A common structure where the shared activity is a gerund.
  • They take turns (in) taking care of their sick mother.
• "take turns with [something/someone]": Highlights sharing responsibility for an object or person.
  • The siblings take turns with the family car.

Variants and Related Words

• Take it in turns: A synonymous phrase, more common in British English.
  • We take it in turns to make the morning coffee.
• Alternate (verb): A more formal synonym meaning to occur or cause to occur by turns.
  • The two teams alternate practice times.
• Rotate (verb): Often used in more structured or scheduled contexts.
  • Committee members rotate the chairmanship annually.

Synonyms

• Alternate
• Rotate
• Swap (informal, often for a single exchange)

Related Phrasal Verbs

• Take over: To assume control or responsibility from someone else. This is different from "take turns," which implies a planned rotation.
  • Can you take over the driving when I get tired?

Related Idioms

• Every other [time/one]: A structure indicating alternation.
  • We work on the project every other day. (This implies a kind of taking turns with time itself.)
• Share the load: To distribute work or responsibility, which is the underlying principle of "taking turns."
  • A good team knows how to share the load.

Verb

1. do something in turns
   • We take turns on the night shift