turn back
Idioms-
Reverse one's direction, as in We had to turn back earlier than expected . [First half of 1500s]
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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]
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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.
Well, one could ask for James to turn back time, but he’s already done that this spring.
From Los Angeles Times • May 10, 2026
Those operations don’t simply turn back on immediately.
From Barron's • May 6, 2026
“Even if there is a good resolution, this isn’t a faucet that can turn back on. We don’t have a peace button you can push to restart those wells.”
From Barron's • Apr. 15, 2026
Some of the explorers choose to turn back.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 2026
I turn back to the task at hand —to the chunks of rubble, to the door hundreds of feet up.
From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer
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.
