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.
So when did you see it turn back?
From Slate ● Sep. 28, 2026
She said they could "not turn back the clock" but would be "open, honest and transparent" about the failings.
From BBC ● Sep. 24, 2026
For now, however, the evidence points to an experimental pathway worth investigating, not a supplement proven to turn back human aging.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 18, 2026
Survivors said they had pleaded for the captain to turn back as the boat took on water.
From Barron's ● Aug. 13, 2026
She’d been watching Molly before this, waiting for her to turn back to normal, to go back to grating on her nerves and breaking her rules with impunity.
From "Night Owls" by A.R. Vishny
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.
