go back
phrasal verb
went back; gone back; going back; goes back
1
: to return to a place
I forgot my purse and had to go back for it.
After college she went back home.
Go back inside! You'll catch cold.
2
: to return to doing something
I turned off the alarm and went back to sleep.
He waved hello, then went right back to work.
She went back to eating her dinner.
3
: to have existed for a particular amount of time or since a particular period
These ruins go back hundreds of years.
4
: to have known each other for an amount of time
We go back 30 years.
He and I go back a long way.
5
: to think or talk about something from the past
To fully understand the issues, we have to go back a few years.
Examples of go back in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Of course, some of the uproar goes back to Brady's playing days.
—
Evan Massey, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Sep. 2025
Hernandez has since retired from gymnastics, published two books, gone back to school, ventured into acting, and earned a Sports Emmy as a commentator at the 2024 Summer Olympics.
—Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 20 Sep. 2025
The plan itself goes back years.
—Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 20 Sep. 2025
But the fact is this new film about 59-year-old construction boss Mike Flynt who went back to his alma mater Sul Ross State University in Texas to finish his senior year and try out for the college football team and make NCAA history is true.
—Pete Hammond, Deadline, 19 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for go 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.
Evan Massey, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Sep. 2025
Hernandez has since retired from gymnastics, published two books, gone back to school, ventured into acting, and earned a Sports Emmy as a commentator at the 2024 Summer Olympics.
—Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 20 Sep. 2025
The plan itself goes back years.
—Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 20 Sep. 2025
But the fact is this new film about 59-year-old construction boss Mike Flynt who went back to his alma mater Sul Ross State University in Texas to finish his senior year and try out for the college football team and make NCAA history is true.
—Pete Hammond, Deadline, 19 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for go back
Cite this Entry
“Go back.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/go%20back. Accessed 22 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share