turn tricks
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
To work as a prostitute, providing sexual services for money.
Register: slang
Where it’s used:
Used
American English
Examples
By 1996, she was a hooker sleeping in the streets or at ratty hotels in Santa Cruz and San Francisco, turning tricks to get her next bag of heroin.
Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Common questions
What does “turn tricks” mean?
To work as a prostitute, providing sexual services for money.
Is “turn tricks” formal or informal?
turn tricks is generally slang.