Turn on

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Meaning 1 of 3
Definition

To excite or interest someone

Example sentence
That kind of confidence really turns her on.
Real video usage
Three clips showing this meaning in natural speech.
Clip 1
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Clip 2
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Clip 3
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Common collocations
Natural word pairings to memorize.

turn someone on

turn on the audience

turn on your curiosity

turn on young readers

turn on a new generation to jazz

turn people on to science

Separable usage
Can the object split the verb? Compare correct vs incorrect.

The speaker really turned on the audience. ✅ (Correct)

The speaker really turned the audience on. ✅ (Correct)

Meaning 1 of 3
Definition

To start a machine or device

Example sentence
Please turn on the lights.
Real video usage
Three clips showing this meaning in natural speech.
Clip 1
⏱ Timestamp
Open on YouTube
Clip 2
⏱ Timestamp
Open on YouTube
Clip 3
⏱ Timestamp
Open on YouTube
Common collocations
Natural word pairings to memorize.

turn on the TV

turn on the lights

turn on the computer

turn on the radio

turn on the air conditioner

turn on the engine

Separable usage
Can the object split the verb? Compare correct vs incorrect.

He turned on the TV. ✅ (Correct)
He turned the TV on. ✅ (Correct)