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
After the portrait Öztürk paints of ICE detention, her statement turns back to her old life, a reminder of how abruptly her world has shifted.
—
Hannah Allam, ProPublica, 13 Apr. 2025
Carter Verhaeghe, in the midst of one of the longest scoring slumps of his NHL career, knew things would have to turn back in his favor eventually.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 12 Apr. 2025
Couples, now 65, turned back the clock Thursday with a one-under-par round of 71, 42 years after breaking par at the Masters for the first time.
—Justin Ray, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2025
Then, the steam passes through a cooling system and turns back into liquid form.
—Merve Ceylan, Health, 7 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for turn back
Hannah Allam, ProPublica, 13 Apr. 2025
Carter Verhaeghe, in the midst of one of the longest scoring slumps of his NHL career, knew things would have to turn back in his favor eventually.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 12 Apr. 2025
Couples, now 65, turned back the clock Thursday with a one-under-par round of 71, 42 years after breaking par at the Masters for the first time.
—Justin Ray, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2025
Then, the steam passes through a cooling system and turns back into liquid form.
—Merve Ceylan, Health, 7 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for turn back
Recent Examples of Synonyms for turn back
Verb
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Martinelli opened his body and tried the old Thierry Henry finish with his right foot… Trossard went with his left, low and hard across the ‘keeper… But both times, they were thwarted, repelled by the firmest of hands.—
Nick Miller,
New York Times,
30 Apr. 2025
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The Sukhoi Su-27 fighter was providing air support for Ukrainian troops and repelling a Russian drone attack when the incident occurred, according to Ukraine's military.—
Mohammed Soliman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 Apr. 2025
Verb
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For starters, who can resist an easy, cheesy, potato casserole?—
Nellah Bailey McGough,
Southern Living,
24 Apr. 2025
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September’s fiesta is in gratitude to soldiers who resisted a siege on the town by French soldiers over the 15th, 16th and 17th centuries, ensuring the region remained a Basque community.—
Jacob Tanswell,
New York Times,
24 Apr. 2025
Verb
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More than 95 people were turned away from voting in town elections due to the new documentation law, according to research from the New Hampshire Campaign for Voting Rights, a subsidiary of the progressive group America Votes.—
Karissa Waddick,
USA Today,
26 Apr. 2025
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The fact that Gautreau’s head was turned away from the viewer in Sargent’s portrait only enhanced the sense of her haughtiness.—
Stephanie Sporn,
Vogue,
24 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Still, assuming that Harvard goes ahead with a legal battle to repulse the Administration’s assault, its actions could have important ramifications not just for other universities but also for broader efforts to resist Trump’s encroachments.—
John Cassidy,
New Yorker,
21 Apr. 2025
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After a disastrous trip to Mexico where Irina appeared repulsed by everything Zack did, the couple split and Zack went crawling back to Bliss.—
Randall Colburn,
EW.com,
1 Feb. 2025
Verb
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In a March 2025 review in Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, researchers reported how studies have shown that exercise can stave off dementia by interrupting inflammatory cell death from necroptosis.—
Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi,
Discover Magazine,
21 Apr. 2025
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So while the Trump administration says the tap for Sudan is still on, aid groups trying to stave off starvation say the total amount has been reduced and the entire system has been paralyzed, cutting off food for weeks at a time in a place where few can afford to miss a single meal.—
Declan Walsh,
New York Times,
19 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Turn back.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/turn%20back. Accessed 4 May. 2025.
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