as in turns away
to drive back
a cavalry charge that was turned back by withering fire
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Recent Examples of turns back
Hearing the Creature screaming his name, Victor turns back.
—
Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Mar. 2026
Their discussion then turns back to the potential of a romance—and heartbreak—between them.
—Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 21 Feb. 2026
Doing so will ensure your paperwork is processed and ready to go when the spigot turns back on.
—Cathie Anderson, Sacbee.com, 30 Oct. 2025
And Keenan Allen turns back the clock.
—Joe Nguyen, Denver Post, 21 Sep. 2025
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
The third and final part focuses on the President (Idris Elba), who as the clock turns back again is making an appearance at a basketball game.
—Pete Hammond, Deadline, 2 Sep. 2025
Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Mar. 2026
Their discussion then turns back to the potential of a romance—and heartbreak—between them.
—Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 21 Feb. 2026
Doing so will ensure your paperwork is processed and ready to go when the spigot turns back on.
—Cathie Anderson, Sacbee.com, 30 Oct. 2025
And Keenan Allen turns back the clock.
—Joe Nguyen, Denver Post, 21 Sep. 2025
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
The third and final part focuses on the President (Idris Elba), who as the clock turns back again is making an appearance at a basketball game.
—Pete Hammond, Deadline, 2 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for turns back
Verb
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And this worry usually arises when a dog turns away from food, gets a stomach ache, or loses energy.—
Lyssanoel Frater,
USA Today,
17 Feb. 2026
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My body turns away before my mind can catch up.—
Valeng Cha,
Twin Cities,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The front glass also includes an anti-smudge coating, fluorine, a material that repels grease and moisture.—
Jim Fisher,
PC Magazine,
16 Mar. 2026
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Foliage has a waxy covering that repels pests and discourages disease.—
Barbara Gillette,
The Spruce,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Charlie, though, is trying to keep them out of a country that thoroughly repulses him.—
Alexander Nazaryan,
New Yorker,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Researchers at Central South University have developed a sodium-ion battery cathode that resists air damage, tackling a key flaw that has long limited the technology’s real-world use.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
18 Mar. 2026
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Scaling up production When cast into thin films, these components self-organize into a dense structure that resists swelling with water vapor.—
J. Carson Meredith,
The Conversation,
17 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Turns back.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/turns%20back. Accessed 19 Mar. 2026.
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