go back

verb

went back; gone back; going back; goes back

intransitive

1

: to return to a place, activity, or situation

I forgot my phone and had to go back.

I left school but later went back.

Once you do this, there's no going back. [=you cannot undo what has been done]

2

: to have existed for a particular amount of time or since a particular period

traditions that go back to ancient times

3

: to have known each other for a particular amount of time or for a long time

We go back 30 years.

They go way back.

4

: to think or talk about something from the past

To understand, you have to go back to when it started.

see also:

go back on

Examples of go back in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Wait for 30 minutes after the last lightning or thunder before going back out. —Nc Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 22 Mar. 2026

One of the agents' lawyers, Margaret Donovan, said in a statement that Patel went back on a promise not to fire agents based on the cases they were assigned. —Arkansas Online, 21 Mar. 2026

The Jays and Schneider have to stop him from going back out for more after his appearances are over. —Mitch Bannon, New York Times, 21 Mar. 2026

Seriously, go back and watch the season-nine finale and try to make it through the first hour without just skipping ahead to the lip syncs. —Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 21 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for go back

• aback
• anzac
• attack
• backpack
• backtrack
• bareback
• blackjack
• brownback
• buyback
• callback
• cognac
• comeback