turnout

1 of 2

noun

turn·​out ˈtərn-ˌau̇t How to pronounce turnout (audio)
1
: the number of people who participate in or attend an event
a heavy voter turnout
2
a
: a place where something (such as a road) turns out or branches off
b
: a space adjacent to a highway in which vehicles may park or pull into to enable others to pass
c
: a railroad siding
3
: an act of turning out
4
chiefly British
5
: a clearing out and cleaning
6
a
: a coach or carriage together with the horses, harness, and attendants
b
c
: manner of dress : getup
7
: net quantity of produce yielded

turn out

2 of 2

verb

turned out; turning out; turns out

intransitive verb

1
a
: to come or go out from home in or as if in answer to a summons
voters turned out in droves
b
: to get out of bed
2
a
: to prove to be in the result or end
the play turned out to be a flop
it turned out that we were both wrong
b
: to become in maturity
nobody thought he'd turn out like this
c
: end
stories that turn out happily

transitive verb

1
: to put out by or as if by turning a switch
turn out the lights
2
: to produce often rapidly or regularly by or as if by machine
a writer turning out stories
3
a
: to turn inside out
turning out his pockets
b
: to empty the contents of especially for cleaning or rearranging
also : clean
4
a
b
: to put (an animal, such as a horse) to pasture
5
: to equip, dress, or finish in a careful or elaborate way
6
: to call (a guard, a company, etc.) out from rest or shelter and into formation

Examples of turnout in a Sentence

Noun The opening game of the season brought only a small turnout. a 50 percent voter turnout Verb we turn out early on workdays it's our practice to turn out the room after guests stay over
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The impact of Biden's visit on turnout is not clear Biden visited the state on the day voters finished casting ballots. Ronald J. Hansen, The Arizona Republic, 20 Mar. 2024 Moreno, like Trump, was especially strong among voters who don’t have a four-year college degree -- 55% of the turnout. Gary Langer, ABC News, 19 Mar. 2024 Democrats hope the ballot question will drive voter turnout and boost reelection chances for incumbent U.S. Sen. Jon Tester against the likely Republican candidate, Tim Sheehy. Bram Sable-Smith and Rachana Pradhan, USA TODAY, 18 Mar. 2024 At least six Russian regions claimed turnout was above 90%. Bloomberg, Fortune Europe, 18 Mar. 2024 Republican candidates tried to maximize turnout among this electoral base, while adding a majority of independent voters to the GOP column. Matthew Continetti, National Review, 16 Mar. 2024 The bond measure would have likely performed better in November, Skelton argues, when turnout among Democrats is typically higher. Laurel Rosenhall, Los Angeles Times, 14 Mar. 2024 Research shows that traumatic events, for the most part, depress voter turnout in the following presidential election. Spencer Goidel, The Conversation, 11 Mar. 2024 While Black voters are unlikely to support Trump in significant numbers in November, a lack of turnout could prove just as fatal for Biden's reelection campaign. Joey Cappelletti, Quartz, 14 Mar. 2024
Verb
On the other hand, imagine a more casual Democratic voter whose lack of passion for Biden or pessimism about the election is the difference between turning out and not turning out. Craig Gilbert, Journal Sentinel, 25 Mar. 2024 The late flurry turned out to be too little, too late for Indiana, but head coach Rick Carlisle was pleased with his squad’s effort. Sam Joseph, CNN, 25 Mar. 2024 But, the object turned out to be something extraordinary indeed: the fractured remains of a 2,000-year-old Roman cavalry helmet decorated with ornate patterns of silver and gold. Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 25 Mar. 2024 The concert turned out to be a new beginning for the duo — and a new ending. Lizzie Hyman, Peoplemag, 24 Mar. 2024 Joyner, 73, ends his coaching career with exactly 600 wins, having won his 600th game on Feb. 24 against Claflin, fittingly in what turned out to be his final regular-season home game on the court that is named for him. Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 22 Mar. 2024 Self-improvement projects will turn out better than anticipated. Eugenia Last, The Mercury News, 22 Mar. 2024 That’s a lofty goal considering what a sensation the sequel has turned out to be. Zack Sharf, Variety, 21 Mar. 2024 But the race turned out to be an exciting one, with Charles Leclerc scoring pole position in his Ferrari, and Max Verstappen starting second. Brad Spurgeon, Robb Report, 11 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'turnout.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1688, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Verb

1546, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 4a

Time Traveler
The first known use of turnout was in 1546

Dictionary Entries Near turnout

Cite this Entry

“Turnout.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/turnout. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

turnout

1 of 2 noun
turn·​out ˈtər-ˌnau̇t How to pronounce turnout (audio)
: the number of people who attend or who do something (as vote)
a good turnout at the meeting
expected a light voter turnout

turn out

2 of 2 verb
ˌtər-ˈnau̇t,
ˈtər-
1
: to put or empty out of a container
2
: to make by or as if by machine
the factory turns out automobiles
turns out a new story every month
3
: turn off sense 2
who turned out the light?
4
: to come or go out from home
thousands turned out to see them
5
: to prove to be
it turned out to be only the cat
of course, I turned out to be right

More from Merriam-Webster on turnout

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