idiom (phrasal) · academic

turn the tide

UK/tɜːn ðə taɪd/US/tɝːn ðə taɪd/turn the TIDE

task2speaking

to change a situation so that you have an advantage after previously being disadvantaged

Examples

The new evidence helped turn the tide in the defence's favour.

A successful marketing campaign can turn the tide for a failing brand.

The policy aims to turn the tide on rising unemployment.

Band 8 sentence

The court ruling turned the tide, forcing policymakers to rethink the regulation.

Collocations

  • turn the tide in favour of
  • help turn the tide

Word family

turns the tide verb (3rd sg)turned the tide verb (past/p.p.)turning the tide verb (gerund)

Common mistakes

turn the tide of the storyturn the tide in our favour

turn tideturn the tide

Say it for a higher band

5improve the situation6reverse the trend7+turn the tide

Synonyms

reverse the trend

shift momentum

Easily confused

turn the tables

She turned the tables on her critic by producing evidence.

reverse the trend

New policies were introduced to reverse the trend of falling birth rates.

Related words

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In turn …

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