go back

phrasal verb

went back; gone back; going back; goes back
1
: to return to a place
I forgot my purse and had to go back for it.
After college she went back home.
Go back inside! You'll catch cold.
2
: to return to doing something
I turned off the alarm and went back to sleep.
He waved hello, then went right back to work.
She went back to eating her dinner.
3
: to have existed for a particular amount of time or since a particular period
These ruins go back hundreds of years.
4
: to have known each other for an amount of time
We go back 30 years.
He and I go back a long way.
5
: to think or talk about something from the past
To fully understand the issues, we have to go back a few years.

Examples of go back in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Authorities believe that surveillance footage and witness testimony show Spalding went back into the car and repeatedly ran over Webster, Fox 10 reports. Nicole Acosta, People.com, 27 Jan. 2025 Some required manually cutting each bag and then going back to do a sealing session. Adam Campbell-Schmitt, Bon Appétit, 27 Jan. 2025 But this game went back and forth throughout, as Allen was able to take the lead early in the second quarter after orchestrating a 72-yard drive on 10 plays, capped by a James Cook six-yard rush. Scott Thompson, Fox News, 27 Jan. 2025 Professional Athletes Have Always Loved Showing Off Their Cute Kids Westbrook is carrying on a postgame tradition that goes back decades. Elisabeth Sherman, Parents, 27 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for go back 

Dictionary Entries Near go back

Cite this Entry

“Go back.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/go%20back. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.

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