as in turns away
to drive back
a cavalry charge that was turned back by withering fire
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Recent Examples of turns back
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
The third and final part focuses on the President (Idris Elba), who as the clock turns back again is making an appearance at a basketball game.
—Pete Hammond, Deadline, 2 Sep. 2025
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
The third and final part focuses on the President (Idris Elba), who as the clock turns back again is making an appearance at a basketball game.
—Pete Hammond, Deadline, 2 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for turns back
Verb
-
More chatting, the camera turns away to shoot some B-roll.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Apr. 2026
-
And this worry usually arises when a dog turns away from food, gets a stomach ache, or loses energy.—
Lyssanoel Frater,
USA Today,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The herby scent also repels flies, gnats, and some ticks.—
Olivia Young,
Travel + Leisure,
9 Apr. 2026
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However, growing strongly scented rosemary plants near brassicas naturally repels many common garden pests, including cabbage moths.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
2 Apr. 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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Kousa also boasts handsome flaking bark, and most important, kousa resists disease and isn't as fussy about soil as flowering dogwood is.—
Steve Bender,
Southern Living,
15 Apr. 2026
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As soft as pajamas yet lovely enough to wear out on the town (or around the ship), the micro modal fabric of these Saint Haven pants drapes elegantly, resists wrinkles, and has a relaxed fit that works equally well at a harbor-side bar or a breezy dinner ashore.—
Amanda Eyre Ward,
Travel + Leisure,
13 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Turns back.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/turns%20back. Accessed 21 Apr. 2026.
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