TURNED BACK Synonyms: 22 Similar and Opposite Words

turned back

verb

past tense of turn back

as in repulsed

to drive back a cavalry charge that was turned back by withering fire

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of turned back The two giggled momentarily before Quiñonez turned back and answered candidly. — Jake McCreven, Hartford Courant, 4 Oct. 2026 Tight end Travis Kelce looks like he’s turned back the clock for Kansas City, which is running the ball well. — Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026 An Israeli military official said its fighter jets had turned back before the plane landed at Tabuk. — Gerry Shih, Washington Post, 30 Sep. 2026 About halfway through the evening, attention turned back to Pugh as Guiducci and Bajaria lauded the Oscar-nominee. — Chris Murphy, Vanity Fair, 30 Sep. 2026 Case Keenum turned back the clock, as the 38-year-old quarterback led the Chicago Bears to a resounding 27-7 win over the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday night. — Scott Thompson Outkick, FOXNews.com, 29 Sep. 2026 Crews are still working to clean up the damage left behind, repairing the pole and getting lights turned back on. — Amanda Callahan, CBS News, 27 Sep. 2026 For the first time in the 12 days since my cool-off, with my account newly fat with house money, the company turned back on the push notifications notifying me of BOOSTS and betting opportunities. — Jake Pearson, ProPublica, 26 Sep. 2026 Phetchaburi Road, one of the capital’s busiest, was unusually quiet as vehicles were turned back by floods. — ABC News, 25 Sep. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for turned back

Verb

Young people just aren’t interested, partly because they’re repulsed by bodily fluids.

— Marta Balaga, Variety, 16 Sep. 2026
His recent comments didn’t favor the Browns fanbase, and many Cleveland fans seem viscerally repulsed by him.

— Andy Behrens, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of repulsed

Verb

The plane was told to wait for clearance from the Jordanian military and then turned away.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 1 Oct. 2026
While customers drawn by the deal monopolized tables to gorge on order after order of shrimp, restaurants ran out of shrimp and turned away regular customers.

— Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of turned away

Verb

Baghdad has sought to bring weapons held by non-state groups under government control, but some of the most influential militias have resisted disarming.

— Bradford Betz, FOXNews.com, 30 Sep. 2026
Christian had refused to take his insulin and resisted going to the hospital, said Jennifer Trainor, the manager of Logos House.

— Joseph Shapiro, NPR, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of resisted

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turned away

turned back

turned color

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“Turned back.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/turned%20back. Accessed 6 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of turned back

verb

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