turn back

verb

turned back; turning back; turns back

intransitive verb

1

a

: 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

Phrases

turn back the clock

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

Synonyms

• repel
• resist
• turn away
• repulse
• fend (off)
• stave off
• beat off

Examples of turn back in a Sentence

a cavalry charge that was turned back by withering fire

Recent Examples on the Web

This second wave of cloud repatriation isn’t about turning back the clock. —Mark Mahle, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2025

After turning back a national developer’s plan for an 800,000-square-foot warehouse, a coalition of residents in rural Connecticut is preparing to challenge the company’s new proposal to construct two buildings with a total of 700,000 square feet. —Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 11 Aug. 2025

Pros & Cons Casual PC gamers and Excel jockeys, turn back now. —PC Magazine, 30 July 2025

The garage burned to the ground, but the firefighters had finally turned back the flames AT HIS HOUSE. —Philip Metres july 30, Literary Hub, 30 July 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a

Rhymes for turn back

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

Kids Definition

turn back

verb

1

: to go in the reverse direction : return

turned back for home

2

: to stop the advance of : check

turned back the enemy