turn back
Idioms-
Reverse one's direction, as in We had to turn back earlier than expected . [First half of 1500s]
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Drive someone back or away, as in They turned back anyone who didn't have an invitation , or Our forces soon turned back the enemy . [First half of 1500s]
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Fold down, as in Turn back the page you're on to keep your place in the magazine . [Second half of 1800s] Also see turn one's back on .
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has warned ships to avoid the passage, prompting many vessels to turn back, reroute, or idle nearby.
Maritime insurers have pulled coverage, and several vessels attempting to transit through the strait have turned back.
From MarketWatch
Maritime insurers have pulled coverage, and several vessels attempting to transit through the strait have turned back.
From MarketWatch
Thomas P was accused of failing to turn back or call for help in time after he left his girlfriend and reached the summit of the mountain.
From BBC
More than 200 passengers on the 20:00 flight to Doha on Friday returned to Heathrow after it was ordered to turn back a third of the way through the journey.
From BBC
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
