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
German Marquez turned back the clock, Michael Toglia stayed hot, and the defense and bullpen came up clutch against a struggling Nats team that’s lost 11 straight.
—
Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 18 June 2025
In a comedic twist, the Labrador retriever was filmed turning back to his owner during the drive, with a smug look on his face as if to boast about his comfortable spot.
—Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 June 2025
So to have a bit of a spotlight turned back on you, at this stage, is incredibly gratifying.
—Scott Feinberg, HollywoodReporter, 10 June 2025
After her interludes, my father turns back to me and says, grinning, Okay, now back to Scheherazade’s turn.
—Hala Alyan
june 9, Literary Hub, 9 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for turn back
Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 18 June 2025
In a comedic twist, the Labrador retriever was filmed turning back to his owner during the drive, with a smug look on his face as if to boast about his comfortable spot.
—Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 June 2025
So to have a bit of a spotlight turned back on you, at this stage, is incredibly gratifying.
—Scott Feinberg, HollywoodReporter, 10 June 2025
After her interludes, my father turns back to me and says, grinning, Okay, now back to Scheherazade’s turn.
—Hala Alyan
june 9, Literary Hub, 9 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for turn back
Recent Examples of Synonyms for turn back
Verb
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What to know about the New York City primary The coalition seeking to repel Cuomo has framed the choice facing New Yorkers as one between an older, moderate political establishment and a youthful, progressive vision for the party.—
James Powel,
USA Today,
25 June 2025
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There are a couple of candidates: Oil of lemon eucalyptus can be applied to exposed skin as well as clothing and works well to repel mosquitoes and ticks, Haines says; make sure to get one with a 30% to 40% concentration, and dilute it with water before use.—
Angela Haupt,
Time,
24 June 2025
Verb
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But the big challenge for Świątek, resisting a reversion to the baseline aggression when matches get stressful, also gets magnified on grass, where sets can disappear in minutes and errors rack up more easily and quickly.—
Matthew Futterman,
New York Times,
5 July 2025
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The Supreme Court upheld that ruling and ordered the administration to begin the process of releasing him, but officials resisted bringing him back until he was indicted on the human smuggling charges in May.—
Amanda Lee Myers,
USA Today,
4 July 2025
Verb
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Both works are countdowns of a kind, but where Bowie shouts into the void, Drake gently turns away from it.—
arkansasonline.com,
arkansasonline.com,
5 July 2025
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That means, on average, more than 96 out of every 100 applicants were turned away, many of them top of their class, test score-perfect, and extracurricular-rich.—
Daniel Fusch,
USA Today,
4 July 2025
Verb
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The smell of cinnamon repulsed her, as did the sight of falling leaves, cornucopias, turkeys, cobwebs, ghosts, and that stupid cursive that had become the font of choice for selling pumpkin lattes and a vague notion of cozy well-being.—
Anelise Chen
June 3,
Literary Hub,
3 June 2025
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Kravitz was an assistant machine gunner who on March 6-7, 1951, repulsed with his platoon in Yangpyong, Korea, two Chinese probing attacks.—
Richard J. Gonzales,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
24 May 2025
Verb
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In such a situation, with overall U.S. deterrence weakened, China could exploit the moment to launch a conventional attack against its neighbors, or even be emboldened to use nuclear weapons to stave off the United States.—
VIPIN NARANG,
Foreign Affairs,
24 June 2025
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Because of the dangers of unhindered possibility, the expansion of choice came with guardrails, rules meant to stave off anarchy and social disorder.—
Gal Beckerman,
The Atlantic,
23 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Turn back.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/turn%20back. Accessed 9 Jul. 2025.
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