bring back
phrasal verb
brought back; bringing back; brings back
1
: to come back with (something or someone)
What did you bring back (with you) from your vacation?
Bring your roommate back with you when you come home for the holidays.
You promised to bring me back a present.
2
: to cause (something or someone) to return or be returned
The death penalty was done away with in this area many years ago, but some people now want it to be brought back.
The movie is a fantasy about a man who is brought back (to life) from the dead.
The company is doing poorly, and its former president is being brought back to help solve its problems.
3
: to cause (something or someone) to return to a condition, subject, etc.
That question brings us back (again) to the fundamental problem of world peace.
We gradually brought the conversation back to the subject of his unpaid bills.
4
: to cause (something) to return to someone's memory
Seeing her again brought back a lot of happy memories.
I had almost forgotten about the time we spent together, but seeing her again brought it all back (to me).
Examples of bring back in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
For two members of the Wild, a trip back to Agganis brought back memories of times they weren’t made to feel so welcome.
—
Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 3 Feb. 2025
De Niro plays a former president who is brought back into the White House inner circle and is asked to head up the Zero Day Commission and charged with finding the perpetrators of the devastating attack.
—Abid Rahman, The Hollywood Reporter, 1 Feb. 2025
This offseason, the Royals awarded Wacha a three-year, $51 million contract to prevent him from opting out, traded right-hander Brady Singer to the Cincinnati Reds for second basemen Jonathan India and brought back righty Michael Lorenzen on a one-year, $7 million deal.
—Ken Rosenthal, The Athletic, 1 Feb. 2025
Cincinnati has already been rather aggressive this winter by bringing back Nick Martinez and signing Austin Hays.
—Dan Perry, Newsweek, 31 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for bring back 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 3 Feb. 2025
De Niro plays a former president who is brought back into the White House inner circle and is asked to head up the Zero Day Commission and charged with finding the perpetrators of the devastating attack.
—Abid Rahman, The Hollywood Reporter, 1 Feb. 2025
This offseason, the Royals awarded Wacha a three-year, $51 million contract to prevent him from opting out, traded right-hander Brady Singer to the Cincinnati Reds for second basemen Jonathan India and brought back righty Michael Lorenzen on a one-year, $7 million deal.
—Ken Rosenthal, The Athletic, 1 Feb. 2025
Cincinnati has already been rather aggressive this winter by bringing back Nick Martinez and signing Austin Hays.
—Dan Perry, Newsweek, 31 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for bring back
Dictionary Entries Near bring back
Cite this Entry
“Bring back.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bring%20back. Accessed 12 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share