Take a turn for the worse

When something takes a turn for the worse, no matter how bad the situation was, it has just gotten worse.
Take a turn for the worse means that no matter how bad or good the situation was, it has just gotten worse.

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Phrase: Take a turn for the worse

No matter the industry you’re involved in, or the topic of the conversation, take a turn for the worse is a phrase you most likely do not want to hear.


When something takes a turn for the worse, no matter how bad or good the situation was, it has just gotten worse.


This phrase is often used when talking about the economy or a person’s medical condition.

Right now, the American economy is booming.

The unemployment rate is very low, and most people have a little extra money in their pockets, or at least that’s what we’re told.

However, behind every silver lining, there is a cloud.

If you dig deeper into the economic situation, you will find people and their reports who say that not only the American economy but also the world economy is due to take a turn for the worse.

Just this past weekend in the New York Times, an article titled ‘Turkey’s Financial Crisis Surprised Many. Except This Analyst‘says Turkey is the proverbial canary in the coal mine.

The Turkish economy has taken a turn for the worse, and now we’ll all have to wait and see how that affects the rest of the world.

In more specific terms, another thing that may bring about a turn for the worse for Japan is the possibility of stronger American sanctions against Iran.

If Japan can no longer purchase Iranian oil, we can expect to see the price of gasoline and other petrol products immediately jump.

A conversation about economics is one of many places where we can expect to hear the phrase take a turn for the worse.

You’ll also hear it in TV dramas when a patient’s condition worsens.

Doctors have to inform family members about the health condition of their loved ones.

When they do this, doctors may say that, unfortunately, so-and-so’s situation has taken a turn for the worse, but we’re doing everything we can.


Flesch-Kincaid Readability Test

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On the Flesch-Kincaid reading-ease test, this post scores 61.  

The easier a passage is to read, the higher the score on a scale of 0 – 100.