Fig. to cause a reversal in the direction of events; to cause a reversal in public opinion. It looked as if the team were going to lose, but near the end of the game, our star player turned the tide. At first, people were opposed to our plan. After a lot of discussion, we were able to turn the tide.
to completely change the direction of something The new medicine turned the tide for my father, and he was out of the hospital in a few days.Better rifles for the army helped turn the tide of the war.
Usage notes: usually said about a condition, opinion, or process
to change a situation or people's opinions to the opposite of what they were before The government had planned cuts in the armed forces, but when war broke out, the military saw a chance to turn the tide.