bring back

phrasal verb

brought back; bringing back; brings back
1
: to come back with (something or someone)
What did you bring back (with you) from your vacation?
Bring your roommate back with you when you come home for the holidays.
You promised to bring me back a present.
2
: to cause (something or someone) to return or be returned
The death penalty was done away with in this area many years ago, but some people now want it to be brought back.
The movie is a fantasy about a man who is brought back (to life) from the dead.
The company is doing poorly, and its former president is being brought back to help solve its problems.
3
: to cause (something or someone) to return to a condition, subject, etc.
That question brings us back (again) to the fundamental problem of world peace.
We gradually brought the conversation back to the subject of his unpaid bills.
4
: to cause (something) to return to someone's memory
Seeing her again brought back a lot of happy memories.
I had almost forgotten about the time we spent together, but seeing her again brought it all back (to me).

Examples of bring back in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Other states, including Kansas, Michigan, and New Jersey, have seen efforts to bring back the practice. Annabella Rosciglione, The Washington Examiner, 29 Apr. 2025 Trump vowed on the campaign trail to bring back workplace raids, after the Biden administration had largely put a stop to such enforcement tactics. Brian Bennett, Time, 29 Apr. 2025 One person familiar with her role says she was brought back on then as an executive assistant to cover for a colleague out on maternity leave. John Hyatt, Forbes.com, 28 Apr. 2025 The blog post says that Stampede is considering bringing back Kevin Bacon as Val, though nothing is finalized. Mohammed Soliman, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for bring back

Cite this Entry

“Bring back.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bring%20back. Accessed 2 May. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!