Idiom
turn over a new leaf
Meaning
To engage in self-improvement; to begin a good habit or shed a bad habit.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Examples
“He decided to turn over a new leaf and quit smoking.”
“I turn over a new leaf today by eating more vegetables.”
“You turn over a new leaf when you start exercising every morning.”
“After getting a warning at work, she turned over a new leaf and started arriving on time every day.”
“My brother finally turned over a new leaf by cleaning his room every weekend and helping with the dishes after dinner.”
“The neighbors turned over a new leaf and apologized for their loud music after we talked to them about the noise.”
“After failing his first exam, the student turned over a new leaf and spent every afternoon studying in the library.”
“Fresh out of prison and determined to rebuild his life, he turned over a new leaf, cutting ties with his old crowd and enrolling in night classes.”
Examples
simple
“He decided to turn over a new leaf and quit smoking.”
“I turn over a new leaf today by eating more vegetables.”
“You turn over a new leaf when you start exercising every morning.”
contextual
“After getting a warning at work, she turned over a new leaf and started arriving on time every day.”
“My brother finally turned over a new leaf by cleaning his room every weekend and helping with the dishes after dinner.”
“The neighbors turned over a new leaf and apologized for their loud music after we talked to them about the noise.”
“After failing his first exam, the student turned over a new leaf and spent every afternoon studying in the library.”
complex
“Fresh out of prison and determined to rebuild his life, he turned over a new leaf, cutting ties with his old crowd and enrolling in night classes.”
Origin
The expression employs the same figurative metaphor as turn the page, using leaf in its earlier sense of a page in a book. While modern usage refers to personal reform, the imagery is that of a reader advancing to a blank sheet to begin a new entry.
Key words
Related idioms
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