turn back
verb
turned back; turning back; turns back
1
a
: to go in the reverse direction
b
: to stop going forward
2
: to refer to an earlier time or place
1
: to drive back or away
2
: to stop the advance of
3
: to fold back
see also turn back the clock
Examples of turn back in a Sentence
a cavalry charge that was turned back by withering fire
Recent Examples on the Web
Bob Frid / Imagn Images VANCOUVER — As Joseph Woll turned back to watch a puck drift slowly from behind his net onto the stick of Vancouver Canucks forward Conor Garland, Woll quickly had to become a hero.
—
Joshua Kloke, New York Times, 1 Feb. 2026
As the heist approaches, the line between hunter and hunted begins to blur, and all three are faced with life-defining choices–and the realization that there can be no turning back.
—Jessica Radloff, Glamour, 1 Feb. 2026
As is the case with many turnarounds, Kleiner hasn’t tried to turn back the clock and create a replica of its former self, but instead has evolved to find its footing in a new landscape.
—Allie Garfinkle, Fortune, 31 Jan. 2026
In early 2013, having ticked her Antarctica box, Koch turned back to her other great passion and applied for admission to NASA’s 21st astronaut class.
—Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 29 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for turn back
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Joshua Kloke, New York Times, 1 Feb. 2026
As the heist approaches, the line between hunter and hunted begins to blur, and all three are faced with life-defining choices–and the realization that there can be no turning back.
—Jessica Radloff, Glamour, 1 Feb. 2026
As is the case with many turnarounds, Kleiner hasn’t tried to turn back the clock and create a replica of its former self, but instead has evolved to find its footing in a new landscape.
—Allie Garfinkle, Fortune, 31 Jan. 2026
In early 2013, having ticked her Antarctica box, Koch turned back to her other great passion and applied for admission to NASA’s 21st astronaut class.
—Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 29 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for turn back
Cite this Entry
“Turn back.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/turn%20back. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
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