turn back
verb
turned back; turning back; turns back
1
a
: to go in the reverse direction
b
: to stop going forward
2
: to refer to an earlier time or place
1
: to drive back or away
2
: to stop the advance of
3
: to fold back
Examples of turn back in a Sentence
a cavalry charge that was turned back by withering fire
Recent Examples on the Web
Law plays Jake Friedken, a hotshot restaurant owner whose life is thrown into chaos when his black sheep older brother, Vince (Jason Bateman), turns back up after years on the run.
—
Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 19 Sep. 2025
Advertisement Advertisement Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam have said there is no turning back on this project, despite staunch opposition from Hezbollah.
—Bilal Y. Saab, Time, 18 Sep. 2025
The steam then goes to a condenser where it’s cooled by seawater, turning back into water to be pumped back to the steam generator, repeating the cycle.
—Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 17 Sep. 2025
Proposition 50 would turn back the clock of progress, cutting up our neighborhoods for political gain and silencing the very voices that fought hardest for fairness.
—Bernadette Suarez, Oc Register, 15 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for turn back
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.
Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 19 Sep. 2025
Advertisement Advertisement Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam have said there is no turning back on this project, despite staunch opposition from Hezbollah.
—Bilal Y. Saab, Time, 18 Sep. 2025
The steam then goes to a condenser where it’s cooled by seawater, turning back into water to be pumped back to the steam generator, repeating the cycle.
—Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 17 Sep. 2025
Proposition 50 would turn back the clock of progress, cutting up our neighborhoods for political gain and silencing the very voices that fought hardest for fairness.
—Bernadette Suarez, Oc Register, 15 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for turn back
Cite this Entry
“Turn back.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/turn%20back. Accessed 20 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share