as in to repel
to drive back
a cavalry charge that was turned back by withering fire
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of turn back
Prepare to turn back on the air conditioning and get ready for three days of heat and humidity, according to National Weather Service forecasts.
—
Isabelle Friedman, Boston Herald, 27 July 2025
The preservation of the wall means the site can, if necessary, be turned back into a fully functioning dock.
—Patrick Boyland, New York Times, 7 July 2025
Magny turned back Rodriguez, submitting him in the third round.
—Trent Reinsmith, Forbes.com, 19 July 2025
In tech, people are turning back to flip phones, Tamagotchi's and disposable film cameras.
—Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for turn back
Isabelle Friedman, Boston Herald, 27 July 2025
The preservation of the wall means the site can, if necessary, be turned back into a fully functioning dock.
—Patrick Boyland, New York Times, 7 July 2025
Magny turned back Rodriguez, submitting him in the third round.
—Trent Reinsmith, Forbes.com, 19 July 2025
In tech, people are turning back to flip phones, Tamagotchi's and disposable film cameras.
—Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for turn back
Recent Examples of Synonyms for turn back
Verb
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Fragrant herbs are often planted around vegetables to repel plant pests and attract pollinators to veggie flowers.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
22 July 2025
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Getting back to the lizards, there are certain scents that can repel lizards.—
Joan Morris,
Mercury News,
21 July 2025
Verb
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If a student tries to evade this process and just asks for the answer, the AI will resist the request and instead redirect the student to engage with the material.—
Ray Ravaglia,
Forbes.com,
30 July 2025
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Of course, powerful pollution interests resist any positive change to the status quo.—
Mel Martin,
The Orlando Sentinel,
29 July 2025
Verb
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Both images show the animal turned away from the camera, their marbled coat leading to a long, fluffy tail.—
Irene Wright,
Miami Herald,
28 July 2025
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Former Trump adviser Steve Bannon, who now hosts the popular populist show War Room, lists three pillars of MAGA: a modest America-first foreign policy; a turn away from global trade and toward domestic manufacturing; and a crackdown on immigration.—
Ben Smith,
semafor.com,
28 July 2025
Verb
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This is something that finally repulses Ivor, and that Orla also grapples with.—
Deborah Treisman,
New Yorker,
27 July 2025
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In Liberia, especially, the Peace Corps volunteers were repulsed by the ways that Americo-Liberians — the descendants of the Black Americans who founded the country — oppressed indigenous ethnic groups.—
Jonathan Zimmerman,
New York Daily News,
16 July 2025
Verb
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Those strengths were often neutralized while leading a veteran Phillies team as the organization tried to stave off an ultimately unavoidable rebuild.—
Meghan Montemurro,
Chicago Tribune,
29 July 2025
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Obama’s hope was to use diplomacy to stave off yet another bloody confrontation in the Middle East.—
David Remnick,
New Yorker,
28 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Turn back.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/turn%20back. Accessed 6 Aug. 2025.
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