turn back

verb

turned back; turning back; turns back

intransitive verb

1

a

: to go in the reverse direction

b

: to stop going forward

2

: to refer to an earlier time or place

transitive verb

1

: to drive back or away

2

: to stop the advance of

3

: to fold back

4

: give back, return

Phrases

turn back the clock

: to revert to or remind of a condition existing in the past

Synonyms

• beat off
• fend (off)
• rebut
• repel
• repulse
• stave off
• turn away

Examples of turn back in a Sentence

a cavalry charge that was turned back by withering fire

Recent Examples on the Web

Fred Couples turned back the clock Thursday but couldn’t quite recreate that magic Friday (still timeless!). —Sam Settleman, New York Times, 12 Apr. 2025

According to court documents, Marchbanks and Pennington arrived at the parking lot with Ater in the same car, and Ater approached and conversed with the rest of the suspects in another car before turning back and shooting at Marchbanks and Pennington. —Ilana Arougheti, Kansas City Star, 11 Apr. 2025

President Trump’s tariff plan appears determined to turn back the clock, and nowhere does his plan defy common sense more than with those same spices that Marco Polo and countless others in the ancient world journeyed for years to bring to the world. —Hank Tucker, Forbes.com, 11 Apr. 2025

But despite his enthusiasm, Testa, who is a personal trainer, knows the drugs can’t turn back the clock. —The New York Times, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a

Rhymes for turn back

• aback
• anzac
• attack
• backpack
• backtrack
• bareback
• blackjack
• brownback
• buyback
• callback
• cognac
• comeback

Kids Definition

turn back

verb

1

: to go in the reverse direction : return

turned back for home

2

: to stop the advance of : check

turned back the enemy