go back
Britishverb
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to return
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(often foll by to) to originate (in)
the links with France go back to the Norman Conquest
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(foll by on) to change one's mind about; repudiate (esp in the phrase go back on one's word )
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(of clocks and watches) to be set to an earlier time, as during British Summer Time
when do the clocks go back this year?
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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]
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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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Feuds between male journalists and actresses go back years and years.
From Salon ● Sep. 17, 2026
In fact, its roots go back nearly a century, as Manhattan Institute economist Allison Schrager makes clear in “Worth the Risk,” to be published next week by Yale.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2026
The building was hit multiple times in 2024 and in March of 2025, leading to warnings for Gazans not to go back, civil defence spokesman Mahmoud Bassal said.
From Barron's ● Sep. 16, 2026
Once you know the new rules, go back to playing to win.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 15, 2026
We go back to the box, taking everything out.
From "Code Name Kingfisher" by Liz Kessler
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
