turn back

turned back; turning back; turns back

Definition of turn back

intransitive verb

1a : to go in the reverse direction

b : to stop going forward

2 : to refer to an earlier time or place

transitive verb

1 : to drive back or away

2 : to stop the advance of

3 : to fold back

4 : give back, return

turn back the clock

: to revert to or remind of a condition existing in the past

Synonyms Example Sentences Learn More about turn back

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Examples of turn back in a Sentence

a cavalry charge that was turned back by withering fire

Recent Examples on the Web Data mishaps notwithstanding, perhaps the greatest present concern for Democrats is uniting in time to turn back Mr. Trump in the fall. — New York Times, "Waiting Years for This Night, Then Hours for an Iowa Winner," 4 Feb. 2020 Now the company has abruptly folded inward, turning back into a bare-bones media startup after decades of growth. — Kate Knibbs, Wired, "CollegeHumor Helped Shape Online Comedy. What Went Wrong?," 28 Jan. 2020 The eighth-grade A girls tournament saw Miller defeat Park View, San Jacinto knock off Beverly Hills, Thompson turn back Bondy and Queens defeat Southmore. — Robert Avery, Houston Chronicle, "Tournaments in 8A and 7A competition get under way," 22 Jan. 2020 When turning back with a full fuel load, pilots have three choices, according to John Cox, a safety consultant and former airline pilot: burn the fuel, which can take hours, dump it or land overweight. — Washington Post, "Aviation experts puzzled after airliner dumps fuel over city," 16 Jan. 2020 Kevlar and a double layer of 1,000-denier Cordura turn back the tusks. — The Editors, Field & Stream, "Everything You Need to Know About Hog Hunting," 13 Jan. 2020 Turnpike officials shut down the highway and took out a section of guardrail so that westbound vehicles could be turned back east for eventual exit, Lucia said. — Mark Scolforo, Cincinnati.com, "Investigators say Cincinnati-bound bus passed truck before wreck killing 5," 7 Jan. 2020 All three, however, came after Clemson turned back potential touchdown drives. — Nathan Baird, cleveland, "Early red zone chances haunted Ohio State football late in Fiesta Bowl loss to Clemson: Buckeye Rewatch," 30 Dec. 2019 Sewell won the 7th District seat, turning back Republican businessman Don Chamberlain. — al, "A decade of women’s history in Alabama," 29 Dec. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'turn back.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Dictionary Entries near turn back

turn around and (do something)

Statistics for turn back

Last Updated

14 Feb 2020

Cite this Entry

“Turn back.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/turn%20back. Accessed 21 Feb. 2020.

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