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There are a few features like Turn Undead which state:

A turned creature [...] also can’t take reactions. For its action, it can use only the Dash action or try to escape from an effect that prevents it from moving. If there’s nowhere to move, the creature can use the Dodge action.

The haste spell states:

Until the spell ends, the target [...] gains an additional action on each of its turns. That action can be used only to take the Attack (one weapon Attack only), Dash, Disengage, Hide, or Use an Object action.

I'm wondering what all "for its action" includes:
Does the Turn Undead feature require to use your "normal action" to take the Dash action? Can you use the action granted by haste instead of your "normal action"? Perhaps Turn Undead requires both of your actions to be used to take the Dash action?

One reason this matters is if you can make multiple attacks with the Attack action, you would want to take the Dash action using your "haste action" and then take the Attack action using your "normal action".

There is already a similar question ("Can you do anything other than dashing while affected by Fear?") where the fear spell only requires that a creature take the Dash action and doing so through any means such as the Rogue's Cunning Action feature or haste qualifies, thus freeing up your "normal action". I'm wondering if this is the same despite the difference in wording.

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An action is an action is an action.

A hasted undead would have it's normal action and a haste action. The action granted by Haste is still an action except that it has some limitations imposed on how it may be used.

Turn Undead imposes even narrower restrictions on how an action may be used. Any options that an undead creature affected by Haste and Turn Undead may use can't exceed the limitations of either. To wit, The available options would be Dash and Dodge.

A literal reading of Haste does not permit an undead to use the haste action to free itself from something that is restraining it. It can use its "normal" action to attempt this, however, and I think it would be reasonable to allow the undead to use its Haste action for a second attempt if it failed with the normal action.

Turn Undead does not say "actions" (plural) because the game does not write the rules with grammar to cover edge cases.

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  • \$\begingroup\$ I'm curious what you think of this question then: Can you do anything other than dashing while affected by Fear? where the spell only requires you to take the Dash action, and thus you can use haste to fulfill that requirement and use your regular action on whatever else \$\endgroup\$
    – Exempt-Medic
    Commented Sep 2, 2019 at 10:49
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    \$\begingroup\$ @med Fear says a creature must take the dash action. It doesn't say it must use its action to dash. It's a minor but critical difference that allows the affected creature to satisfy the requirement by dashing with something other than its action. The spell & ability you're asking about dictate what may be done with the action. \$\endgroup\$
    – Rykara
    Commented Sep 2, 2019 at 13:36
  • \$\begingroup\$ Oh good, I had thought the same thing So for clarification, you would say "its action" includes things which give you multiple actions (like haste and Action Surge) but does not include other sorts of actions like bonus actions? \$\endgroup\$
    – Exempt-Medic
    Commented Sep 2, 2019 at 13:41
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    \$\begingroup\$ @med that is how I understand it. What undead creature are you fighting that has haste, a bonus action, and action surge? \$\endgroup\$
    – Rykara
    Commented Sep 2, 2019 at 13:44
  • \$\begingroup\$ Oh nothing with all of them. Just a hasted undead \$\endgroup\$
    – Exempt-Medic
    Commented Sep 2, 2019 at 13:46
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The affected creature could use the Haste effect to do any actions indicated (and restricted) by the conditions of Turn Undead. No attacking.

Haste grants the target an extra action, but because the creature is Turned, it cannot attack, no matter how many turns it is given, unless the Turned effect is outright bypassed or done away with, and because it is Turned, it can only use its actions (which means all of its actions) to move as far away as possible from the source of Turn Undead, or to break free from movement inhibiting effects. If neither of those two are possible, it can utilize its action to dodge.

Given that the creature gets two actions, if its movement is impaired, say by grapple or hold person/creature, it could use one action to attempt to make its save throw to break the grapple, hold, spell effect, etc., and then use its next action to dash (or dodge if it is not possible).

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