as in turns away
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 turns back
Dalot turns back inside, and then immediately looks to play over the high press.
—
Jon MacKenzie, New York Times, 27 May 2026
Clayton Valley bounces back to beat Campolindo, Sacred Heart Prep shuts out San Mateo again, Gunderson turns back Del Mar.
—Darren Sabedra, Mercury News, 1 May 2026
Woods turns back a surprising challenge Chris DiMarco with a 15-foot birdie putt on the first extra hole to capture his fourth green jacket.
—Senior Editor, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2026
Hearing the Creature screaming his name, Victor turns back.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Mar. 2026
Their discussion then turns back to the potential of a romance—and heartbreak—between them.
—Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 21 Feb. 2026
Doing so will ensure your paperwork is processed and ready to go when the spigot turns back on.
—Cathie Anderson, Sacbee.com, 30 Oct. 2025
And Keenan Allen turns back the clock.
—Joe Nguyen, Denver Post, 21 Sep. 2025
Law plays Jake Friedken, a hotshot restaurant owner whose life is thrown into chaos when his black sheep older brother, Vince (Jason Bateman), turns back up after years on the run.
—Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 19 Sep. 2025
Jon MacKenzie, New York Times, 27 May 2026
Clayton Valley bounces back to beat Campolindo, Sacred Heart Prep shuts out San Mateo again, Gunderson turns back Del Mar.
—Darren Sabedra, Mercury News, 1 May 2026
Woods turns back a surprising challenge Chris DiMarco with a 15-foot birdie putt on the first extra hole to capture his fourth green jacket.
—Senior Editor, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2026
Hearing the Creature screaming his name, Victor turns back.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Mar. 2026
Their discussion then turns back to the potential of a romance—and heartbreak—between them.
—Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 21 Feb. 2026
Doing so will ensure your paperwork is processed and ready to go when the spigot turns back on.
—Cathie Anderson, Sacbee.com, 30 Oct. 2025
And Keenan Allen turns back the clock.
—Joe Nguyen, Denver Post, 21 Sep. 2025
Law plays Jake Friedken, a hotshot restaurant owner whose life is thrown into chaos when his black sheep older brother, Vince (Jason Bateman), turns back up after years on the run.
—Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 19 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for turns back
Verb
-
Get it before this deal turns away from your doorstep.—
Juhi Wadia,
PC Magazine,
23 Apr. 2026
-
More chatting, the camera turns away to shoot some B-roll.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Made from moisture-wicking fabric, this workout tank naturally repels sweat to keep you cool during high-intensity workouts and outdoor activities.—
Emily Weaver,
PEOPLE,
29 May 2026
-
Sometimes that means that one plant repels bugs that often attack the other plant.—
Heather Bien,
Southern Living,
28 May 2026
Verb
-
Sigmund Freud believed that every crush has a strand of disgust, that people are attracted to what repulses them.—
Daniel Felsenthal,
Vulture,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Charlie, though, is trying to keep them out of a country that thoroughly repulses him.—
Alexander Nazaryan,
New Yorker,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The spacious interior accommodates towels, snacks and more, while the exterior resists dirt and scuffs.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
2 June 2026
-
His victim, in her unassailable purity, resists him, thereby proving that the arrivistes populating the ranks of England’s most upwardly mobile class had a moral edge over the nobility.—
Becca Rothfeld,
New Yorker,
1 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Turns back.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/turns%20back. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
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