take turns

idiomatic phrase

variants also British take it in turns

: to do something one after another in regular succession in order to share the responsibility or opportunity of doing it : alternate

We take turns washing the dishes.

Almost immediately, Rick and Diane begin videotaping their classroom lessons, letting their students take turns with the cameras.—

Ann Bradley

Several youths were around the phone, taking it in turns to gossip and joke with the operator.—

Christopher Isherwood

Examples of take turns in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Callard has been studying how conversation works, how pauses happen, how people take turns. —

Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 6 Feb. 2025 The group still takes turns on lead vocals on the album's tracks. —

Marcus K. Dowling, The Tennessean, 3 Feb. 2025 Invite them out yourself or insist on taking turns. —

Judith Martin, The Mercury News, 1 Feb. 2025 Anchorage and Nenana will likely take turns displaying the object, reports the Associated Press’ Mark Thiessen. —

Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 29 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for take turns