go back

verb

1. to return

2. (often foll by to) to originate (in)

   the links with France go back to the Norman Conquest

3. (foll by on) to change one's mind about; repudiate (esp in the phrase go back on one's word )

4. (of clocks and watches) to be set to an earlier time, as during British Summer Time

   when do the clocks go back this year?

Idioms and Phrases

Return, retrace one's steps; also, return to a former condition. For example, I'm going back to the haunts of my youth , or We want to go back to the old way of doing things . [First half of 1500s]

Extend backward in space or time, as in Our land goes back to the stone wall , or The family name goes back to Norman times . [Second half of 1600s] Also see go back on .

Example Sentences

He’s the first to exceed 22 mph with the ball on three occasions in a single season since 2016, as far as the data goes back.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

“It was emotional and surreal. At first it felt so strange to be back, like we went back in time,” Romano says.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

We had just come off a tour, “Siamese Dream,” which was a 14-month tour, and we went in the studio for eight months, made the “Mellon Collie” record, and we immediately went back on tour.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

"CITES tried this twice in the past, the last time was particularly disastrous... The last thing we want to do is to go back to that," he told AFP.

Read more on Barron's

That could mean Head remains, meaning someone like Beau Webster comes into the middle order, or Head could go back to number five and Josh Inglis could go to the top.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• renege