turn over — to give control or responsibility to someone
phrasal verbB2IELTS 6+neutraloccasional
To officially give someone else control, responsibility, or ownership of something.
Say it like a native
Textbook I shall formally relinquish control of the project to my successor.
Native I'll turn the project over to my successor.
'Turn over' is the everyday verb for handing control to someone; 'relinquish control' is formal.
Pattern: turn something over (to someone)
In use
- After ten years, she turned over the company to her son.work
- When my manager retired, he turned over his duties to me, which was a big step in my career.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ He turned over the documents the police.
✓ He turned the documents over to the police.
'Turn ... over TO' the person who gets control.
Common collocations
turn over + to— to the police, the keys, control, the business
Don't confuse it
'Hand over' is similar but often less formal; 'turn over' can sound more official.
Related
- turn over (to turn something so the other side is facing up) — Another meaning of 'turn over' is 'to turn something so the other side is facing up'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.