as in turning away
to drive back
a cavalry charge that was turned back by withering fire
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Recent Examples of turning back
The semifinals at the Ford Center in Frisco are wrapping up, and the day delivered everything from near‑upsets to a Grand Slam champion turning back the clock.
—
J.d. Miles, CBS News, 14 Feb. 2026
The rise of artificial intelligence is inevitable, and there is no turning back.
—Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Feb. 2026
Morris shook Crockett’s hand before turning back down the sidewalk.
—Tribune News Service, Baltimore Sun, 3 Feb. 2026
As the heist approaches, the line between hunter and hunted begins to blur, and all three are faced with life-defining choices–and the realization that there can be no turning back.
—Jessica Radloff, Glamour, 1 Feb. 2026
Morris shook Crockett’s hand before turning back down the sidewalk.
—Kate Armanini, Chicago Tribune, 26 Jan. 2026
One thing that particularly excited him was turning back the clock for exteriors on New York’s Lower East Side, where the tight shooting schedule often required the art department to transform locations as quickly as possible.
—Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 6 Jan. 2026
There’s turning back up until the deed is done.
—Kate Aurthur, Variety, 7 Nov. 2025
An invasion of Taiwan might start with Beijing metaphorically burning its ships so there would be no turning back.
—Zack Cooper, Foreign Affairs, 6 Nov. 2025
J.d. Miles, CBS News, 14 Feb. 2026
The rise of artificial intelligence is inevitable, and there is no turning back.
—Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Feb. 2026
Morris shook Crockett’s hand before turning back down the sidewalk.
—Tribune News Service, Baltimore Sun, 3 Feb. 2026
As the heist approaches, the line between hunter and hunted begins to blur, and all three are faced with life-defining choices–and the realization that there can be no turning back.
—Jessica Radloff, Glamour, 1 Feb. 2026
Morris shook Crockett’s hand before turning back down the sidewalk.
—Kate Armanini, Chicago Tribune, 26 Jan. 2026
One thing that particularly excited him was turning back the clock for exteriors on New York’s Lower East Side, where the tight shooting schedule often required the art department to transform locations as quickly as possible.
—Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 6 Jan. 2026
There’s turning back up until the deed is done.
—Kate Aurthur, Variety, 7 Nov. 2025
An invasion of Taiwan might start with Beijing metaphorically burning its ships so there would be no turning back.
—Zack Cooper, Foreign Affairs, 6 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for turning back
Verb
-
The individual, their face covered in a ski mask, appears to fiddle with the camera with a gloved hand before turning away to look for something to obscure the lens.—
Anna Kaufman,
USA Today,
11 Feb. 2026
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But these restrictions aren’t new, and even experts intimately familiar with GRFP don’t understand why NSF is currently turning away students.—
Jonathan Wosen,
STAT,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Some flowers, like marigolds and nasturtiums, have proven pest-repelling abilities.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
16 Feb. 2026
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Almost all companions on this list use rosemary for its strong scent as a natural deterrent, but onions come with a repelling smell of their own.—
Ashlyn Needham,
The Spruce,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
While there are dismemberments and other bits of gruesome violence to be found in the film, Badlands is largely aimed at endearing its audience rather than repulsing them.—
Richard Lawson,
HollywoodReporter,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The man was arrested and was being held in county jail in lieu of $100,000 bail on suspicion of robbery and resisting an officer, according to online jail records.—
Karen Kucher,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
17 Feb. 2026
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The opposite happens, and the metal strengthens, resisting the deformation.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
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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
“Turning back.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/turning%20back. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
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