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
As the applause continued, his gaze turned back quickly to the ice.
—
Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 9 Mar. 2026
Jared Wright skated it down and turned back a slick pass for Laughton, whose whirling, sharp-angle bid beat Dobeš improbably to the far side.
—Andrew Knoll, Daily News, 8 Mar. 2026
And, besides, he could be seen bear-hugging his players, as well as those of Newcastle, within moments of being led away from Barrott, twice turning back to shout and angrily gesticulate in the referee’s direction.
—Daniel Taylor, New York Times, 8 Mar. 2026
There will be keggers, hook-ups, late nights and early mornings, all without shading Greg as a sad old man trying to turn back time.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 5 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for turn back
Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 9 Mar. 2026
Jared Wright skated it down and turned back a slick pass for Laughton, whose whirling, sharp-angle bid beat Dobeš improbably to the far side.
—Andrew Knoll, Daily News, 8 Mar. 2026
And, besides, he could be seen bear-hugging his players, as well as those of Newcastle, within moments of being led away from Barrott, twice turning back to shout and angrily gesticulate in the referee’s direction.
—Daniel Taylor, New York Times, 8 Mar. 2026
There will be keggers, hook-ups, late nights and early mornings, all without shading Greg as a sad old man trying to turn back time.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 5 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for turn back
Recent Examples of Synonyms for turn back
Verb
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Plants like mint, lavender, eucalyptus, and marigold may repel wasps, and traps can help reduce the colony.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
11 Mar. 2026
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As Venus harmonizes with Pluto, allies become evident while enemies are energetically repelled.—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Designed by Pete and Alice Dye to resist one-note dominance, Sawgrass still works like an equal-opportunity interrogator.—
Jenny Catlin,
New York Times,
12 Mar. 2026
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One wonders to what extent a statement like that made by one of the most senior politicians in Washington might serve to strengthen Iran’s determination to resist, and how many additional lives will be lost as a result.—
Chris Roemer,
Baltimore Sun,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Narratively, Daniel Craig’s returning lead Benoit Blanc takes a back pew to the conflict between a sensitive priest and a malignant monsignor who has turned away from Jesus’ teachings.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Mar. 2026
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At the same time, a number of private equity players that have been active in the past, like Eurazeo and Carlyle, are said to be turning away from beauty.—
Kathryn Hopkins,
Footwear News,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Charlie, though, is trying to keep them out of a country that thoroughly repulses him.—
Alexander Nazaryan,
New Yorker,
10 Feb. 2026
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And Republicans are among those repulsed by the ongoing scandals.—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
The Orlando Sentinel,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
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South Korea is looking to stave off new tariffs from the United States by swiftly passing a bill guaranteeing a $350 billion investment in American industry.—
Kate Nishimura,
Sourcing Journal,
9 Mar. 2026
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But the penalty kill, led by goalie Matt Wright (12 saves), staved off the first to get back to one-man down, and Ryan scooped a loose puck from the neutral zone for a drive to the net.—
Tom Mulherin,
Boston Herald,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
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He regularly gets beat off the bounce by quicker players.—
Sam Vecenie,
New York Times,
2 Mar. 2026
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The dogs had driven the woman into the surf before a tourist came to her rescue, beating off the dingoes.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
28 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Turn back.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/turn%20back. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
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