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.

He is accompanied on his reluctant journey to the finish line with a group of characters who by turns torment and placate him.

From Los Angeles Times • May 13, 2026

“Billy Preston: That’s the Way God Planned It” is, by turns, heartbreaking and inspirational.

From Salon • Feb. 20, 2026

All weekend long, the headlines out of Minneapolis have captured a moment that is by turns alarming and bizarre.

From Slate • Jan. 20, 2026

Where “Warhead” does look ahead, it is by turns thought-provoking and terrifying.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 10, 2025

The baby laughed and wept by turns, and almost never slept.

From "Impossible Creatures" by Katherine Rundell