to turn back

Examples

• All

• Once you got halfway to your destination, you then had to decide whether to turn back or keep going.

• I really feel like I've gone too far down this path to turn back now.

  Harold and the Purple Crayon (2024)

• When life gets hard, when you have every reason in the world to turn back, what do you do?

• Wait, turn back, turn back, turn back, turn back right here.

• And when you hit that low is that when you turn back to your faith?

• I have no home to turn back to!

  Anglerfish (2022)

• Why are you turning back here?

  Posies (2021)

• Once we take this money, you cannot turn back.

  Grapes on a Vine (2008)

• You can turn back or pull over till it's over.

  Superman III (1983)

• As the storm approached, they decided to turn back before reaching the mountains.

Synonyms

B

back

vsto turn back

∞ 1.0

In reply to someone or something

is a directional phrasal form used for that same simple return

G

to go back

vsto turn back

∞ 1.0

Return to a previous place, topic, or state

is the phrasal way to express that same broad return

C

to come back

vsto turn back

∞ 1.3

To return to how it was before

is the action phrase used to express that restoration or return

R

to return

vsto turn back

∞ 1.0

Go back to a place, state or activity

is the two-word phrasal expression for the same action

M

to move back

vsto turn back

283 1.7

To step away to an earlier place

is the neutral act of going back, not specifically retreating under pressure

R

to revert

vsto turn back

67 4.2

To go back to a previous state or way of doing things

is the general phrasal form covering return to place or state

B

to backtrack

vsto turn back

42 4.3

To go back along the same route you have just taken

is the general act of turning back without stressing the same route

R

to retrace

vsto turn back

31 4.2

To go back along the same route you already took

is broader, covering returning generally not only along the same route

D

to double back

vsto turn back

27 3.7

To turn around and go back the way you came

is the general phrase for going back, not necessarily involving a turn

C

to come full circle

vsto turn back

• Informal

20 5.2

To return to the original place or situation after many changes

is the immediate act of going back without implying a long cycle

C

to circle back

vsto turn back

• Jargon

18 4.4

To return to a topic later to talk about it

is the physical or general return rather than returning to a topic

R

to retrace one's steps

vsto turn back

15 4.3

To go back the same way you came to find something you lost

is the simpler expression for going back without that specific purpose

R

to reenter

vsto turn back

14 3.2

To go back into a place or situation after leaving it

is the wider phrasal return not limited to reentry into places

R

to reverse course

vsto turn back

12 5.5

To change a decision or plan and go in a different direction

is the simple physical or general return rather than strategic reversal

R

to retrack

vsto turn back

1 7.9

To go back along the same route you took

is more general and can mean return without following the same route

R

to retrovert

vsto turn back

9.9

To go back to an earlier state or way of doing things

is the everyday phrasal expression for that same idea

B

to backtrail

vsto turn back

6.8

To go back along the path you came to return to the start

is the broader phrasal return not limited to navigation tasks

Antonyms

A

to advance

417 3.4

To help something move forward or become better

M

to move ahead

61 2.7

To start or continue something so it gets closer to a goal

How Returned

to revert

67 4.2

to return

∞ 1.0

to turn back

159 2.1

to retreat

235 4.0

to step back

101 3.6

Surface Forms

Morphology

Etymology