From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishturn to somebody/something phrasal verb1 ASK FOR something/ASK somebody TO DO somethingto try to get help, advice, or sympathy from someone I don’t know who to turn to. The Namibian government turned to South Africa for help.2 to start to do or use something new, especially as a way of solving a problem Many people here are turning to solar power.turn to drink/crime/drugs etc addicts who turn to crime to finance their habit3 turn (something) to something to become a different quality, attitude, form of a substance etc, or to make something do this Our laughter turned to horror as we realized that Jody was really hurt. When water turns to steam, it expands. A sudden storm turned the earth to mud.4 LOOK ATto look at a particular page in a book Turn to page 655 for more information. → turn→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
turn to drink/crime/drugs etc• But is it really a foregone conclusion that all of these young people will turn to crime?• Devastated, the old man turns to drink.• In the environment they lived in it was inevitable that kids would turn to crime.• They fear those children would turn to crime.• Fame gave me a totally empty life in which I turned to drugs and disastrous relationships.• Sadly, I know there is less work today and many have turned to drugs and drink.• He's spent much of his life in prison after turning to crime to support his habit.• At times like that do you despair, turn to drink to try and coax back the muse? 