by turns
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
It became a journey that was by turns funny, frustrating and terrifying.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026
Blake was, by turns, crude, evasive, combative and menacing.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 30, 2026
Seen from below, the table’s ebonized-birch legs also suggest, by turns, two figures kissing, ancient post-and-lintel architecture, an undulating serpent and a recumbent figure by Henry Moore.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 1, 2026
“Billy Preston: That’s the Way God Planned It” is, by turns, heartbreaking and inspirational.
From Salon ● Feb. 20, 2026
In letters that were passionate and practical by turns, they did whatever they could to elide the miles between them.
From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield
