The term 'turned on the waterworks' is an idiom that means to start crying. This phrase can be broken down into four crossword solutions: BAWLED (6 letters), cried (5 letters), WEPT (4 letters), and BOOHOOED (8 letters). BAWLED means to cry loudly, cried means to shed tears, WEPT means to cry quietly, and BOOHOOED means to cry with loud sobs. All of these words describe the act of crying, which is what the phrase 'turned on the waterworks' implies.