turn back

Idioms  

1. Reverse one's direction, as in We had to turn back earlier than expected . [First half of 1500s]

2. 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]

3. 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 .

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Example Sentences

But time hasn’t been on the side of movie theaters for a while now, and a takeover of Warner Bros. won’t turn back that clock.

From The Wall Street Journal

His case may have been turned back by the courts but it nevertheless contributed to the combination’s ultimate unraveling.

From The Wall Street Journal

He drops off Miriam at her university in Pittsburgh and then, instead of turning back to Amy, keeps driving west, either to escape or to confront whatever his future will be.

From The Wall Street Journal

"But once you're out there, there's no turning back, and it's not as easy as it looks like on the screen."

From BBC

It would suck to make an attempt at Whitney and have to turn back because of weather.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• acknowledge
• act
• answer
• behave
• counter
• feel
• perform
• proceed
• reply
• revert