as in repulsed
to drive back
a cavalry charge that was turned back by withering fire
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Recent Examples of turned back
Bernhard’s barely contained incestuous desires (The Loser is only one of a suite of works about brother-sister love and hate, alongside Correction, The Lime Works, and Concrete) are the product of individual psychologies run amok and turned back on themselves, the offshoots of artistic monomania.
—
Christine Smallwood, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026
Al Otro Lado, HIAS and other groups who provided assistance to the asylum seekers who were turned back at the border argued this case is about much more than the narrow legal definition of a few words.
—Alex Riggins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Mar. 2026
This is when Audrey Saunders turned back the tides of time.
—Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 21 Mar. 2026
Zelenskyy was asked to return the statue once his country had turned back the ongoing Russian invasion.
—Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 18 Mar. 2026
Collins, 73, was elected in 1996 and has turned back numerous challenges from Democratic opponents over the years.
—ABC News, 17 Mar. 2026
Convince him, with that vision, to give the Leafs at least one more season to get things turned back around.
—Jonas Siegel, New York Times, 16 Mar. 2026
But with Wilson healthy again, Pittsburgh turned back to the veteran and Fields was sent to the bench.
—CBS News, 16 Mar. 2026
Yashica's turned back time to get inspiration for its latest camera, the Tank.
—New Atlas, 15 Mar. 2026
Christine Smallwood, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026
Al Otro Lado, HIAS and other groups who provided assistance to the asylum seekers who were turned back at the border argued this case is about much more than the narrow legal definition of a few words.
—Alex Riggins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Mar. 2026
This is when Audrey Saunders turned back the tides of time.
—Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 21 Mar. 2026
Zelenskyy was asked to return the statue once his country had turned back the ongoing Russian invasion.
—Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 18 Mar. 2026
Collins, 73, was elected in 1996 and has turned back numerous challenges from Democratic opponents over the years.
—ABC News, 17 Mar. 2026
Convince him, with that vision, to give the Leafs at least one more season to get things turned back around.
—Jonas Siegel, New York Times, 16 Mar. 2026
But with Wilson healthy again, Pittsburgh turned back to the veteran and Fields was sent to the bench.
—CBS News, 16 Mar. 2026
Yashica's turned back time to get inspiration for its latest camera, the Tank.
—New Atlas, 15 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for turned back
Verb
-
Cilantro, a polarizing herb that’s either adored in Mexican, Southeast Asian, and Indian cuisines, or repulsed by those who detect a nauseating soapy taste.—
Catharine Kaufman,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
20 Mar. 2026
-
Nick is hired by a mafia don to confirm and then steal a priceless manuscript said to be Dante’s original Divine Comedy in his own hand, dragging Nick into an underworld he’s both repulsed by and complicit in.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
19 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Whether the tanker is allowed to dock, turned away or intercepted at sea could shape not only Cuba’s immediate energy outlook, but also the broader balance of power playing out across the region.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Frankel turned away all 21 shots in goal for the Fleet (10-5-2-4) in her seventh career shutout.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
22 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
If critics and cinephiles were split on, even largely repelled by, The Sphere’s digital addition of new Oz performances and visuals, the general public embraced an immersive, eventized version of the classic movie.—
David Canfield,
HollywoodReporter,
27 Mar. 2026
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The attack took place less than 24 hours after the Nigerian military repelled attacks by militants on the outskirts of Maiduguri, in what some residents say could have been planned as a distraction.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
When these middlemen resisted British pressure, Britain protected its commercial interests mercilessly and violently.—
Noo Saro-Wiwa,
The Dial,
24 Mar. 2026
-
Her aunt had resisted leaving the capital for two weeks, but was finally convinced to evacuate.—
Jason Rezaian,
New Yorker,
24 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Turned back.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/turned%20back. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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