turns, turned, turning
to turn in
phrasal verb
Surrender or report someone to authorities
- 1The criminal decided to turn himself in to the police.
- 2She turned in the lost wallet to the police station.
When you make someone go to the police or another official group because they did something wrong, you are giving that person to the people in charge. For example, if you tell the police where a thief is, you are helping the police catch that person.
Police often ask people to turn in stolen items or suspects, so you might hear this phrase in news stories or crime shows.
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at the animal store
The Missing Puppy
Sarah
I heard someone found the missing puppy.
Jason
Yes, they decided to turn in the person who took it.
Sarah
That's a relief! I hope the puppy is okay.
Jason
The authorities are taking care of it now.
at a tattoo parlor
The Unexpected Confession
Nancy
I can't believe he was involved in the robbery.
Kenneth
Yeah, and now he's thinking about whether to turn in his partner.
Nancy
That's a tough decision, but it might be the right thing to do.
Kenneth
I agree, especially if it helps clear his name.
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Similar to "to turn in":
- 1surrender
- 2report