turn back
Idioms-
Reverse one's direction, as in We had to turn back earlier than expected . [First half of 1500s]
-
Drive someone back or away, as in They turned back anyone who didn't have an invitation , or Our forces soon turned back the enemy . [First half of 1500s]
-
Fold down, as in Turn back the page you're on to keep your place in the magazine . [Second half of 1800s] Also see turn one's 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.
After a 2023 Bloomberg Businessweek article documented in detail Johnson’s diet, testing and medical procedures, he became the face of a burgeoning movement of men spending millions a year to turn back the clock.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 13, 2026
Iranian authorities ordered at least three oil tankers transiting the Strait of Hormuz to turn back, and two additional ships appeared to reverse course as well, maritime intelligence company Windward said Thursday.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 25, 2026
But he said he recalled players from visiting teams hammering a long ball and passing him at first base, thinking “they had a home run, and then making a right turn back to the dugout.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 18, 2026
"If I could turn back the clock, of course, I would take a different decision."
From BBC ● May 29, 2026
The screaming notes of the music turn back on.
From "The Last Cuentista" by Donna Barba Higuera
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.
