Meanings
- humorousslangSynonym of the tables have turned.First known use 2009
Ohhh how the turns have tabled
2009 April 28, @thecarissaclark, Twitter, archived from the original on 22 Jul 20245 more examples
The turns have tabled on this glorious fable.
2010, Ross M. Hudson, “No Air Play”, in Paid Admission for One: Collected Poems and Prose, […], page 33i say 'turns have tabled' a lot and now it feels weird to say 'tables have turned'and it seems like the turns have tabled indeed idk why im tweeting this
2020 August 13, @AshkeaKurt, Twitter, archived from the original on 29 Aug 2023Just four months ago, Ubisoft seemingly had no plans to release a third season pass for Anno 1800, at least according to comments made by brand manager Marcel Hatam(opens in new tab) at the time. But with the success of Season 2, the turns have tabled, and Season 3 has become a reality.
2020 November 19, Malindy Hetfeld, “Anno 1800 announces Season 3 pass with beautiful teaser”, in PC Gamer, archived from the original on 28 Jan 2023Its almost as if the turns have tabled as well in this regard. We want more gaming functionality in our portable multimedia devices.
2021 April 7, u/godcheese, “The Rise and Fall of Multimedia Gaming Devices”, in Reddit, r/truegaming, archived from the original on 29 Aug 2023But I thought if they took a "break" they would give others a chance... oh how the turns have tabled
2022 June 21, @JoseOchoaTV, Twitter, archived from the original on 29 Aug 2023Synonyms: the tables have turned
Synonyms & antonyms
phraseSynonym of the tables have turned.
Origin
Modeled on "the tables have turned," it emerged shortly after the similar phrase "how the turntables," which originates from the episode “Broke” of the American mockumentary sitcom television series The Office, which aired on 23 April 2009.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
the turns have tabled. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/the%20turns%20have%20tabled
“the turns have tabled.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/the%20turns%20have%20tabled. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “the turns have tabled,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/the%20turns%20have%20tabled.
Source: the turns have tabled on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.