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↩️ To return ⛔ To stop progress 🔄 To reverse
to turn back

to turn back

17 2.0
To stop someone from going forward or entering
  • phrasal verb
  • /tɜrn bæk/
translation icon : hacer regresar
  • I want to turn back and flee with him to his car.

Examples

  • Shall we turn back then, Daniel Jackson?

    Stargate: The Ark of Truth (2008)

  • Details are still coming in but it seems an American army convoy bound for West Berlin has been turned back at Helmstedt on the East German border.

    Threads (1984)

  • I tried to reach Laguna Beach by the Pacific Coast Highway, only to be turned back by a policeman at the campus edge.

    Fiction book (1994)

  • Former UPP organizers who traveled to the conference at which the election would have taken place were turned back by security forces.

    Academic text (2006)

  • The authorities decided to turn back the vehicles approaching the checkpoint due to the severe storm.

  • After realizing they were lost, the hikers had to turn back and retrace their steps to find the correct trail.

  • Due to a lack of proper visas, they were forced to turn back at the airport before boarding their flight.

Synonyms

to stop
vsto turn back
∞ 1.0

To make something end and not continue

works the same but often with emphasis on blocking progress or entry
to contain
vsto turn back
388 3.5

To keep something dangerous from spreading or getting worse

is more general, applying to blocking movement or access as well
to halt
vsto turn back
206 2.4

To stop moving or make something stop moving

is broader, also covering prevention before action begins
to hold back
vsto turn back
187 3.2

Stop someone or something from moving forward

covers prevention in more situations including blocking entry
to check
vsto turn back
104 3.7

Stop something from growing or spreading

is more active, often preventing motion or access outright
to push back
vsto turn back
97 3.9

Force a person or thing to move backward in body and feeling

often prevents progress without necessarily pushing things backward
to drive off
vsto turn back
87 4.0

Force someone or something to leave using threats

is broader, covering any action that blocks continuation or access
to turn away
vsto turn back
77 2.8

Refuse someone entry to a place or group

prevents entering or further progress in a wider set of situations
to drive away
vsto turn back
71 3.4

To force a person, animal, or feeling to go away

can prevent continuing or entering more broadly, not only by alienation
to drive out
vsto turn back
70 3.8

Force someone or something to leave a place

also covers prevention of entry or forward progress, not only removal
to set back
vsto turn back
37 4.2

To cause a delay and slow progress

tends to stop or block progress entirely rather than just delay it
to arrest
vsto turn back
33 3.9

To stop or slow the progress of something

is similar but focuses more on preventing entry or forward movement
to chase away
vsto turn back
26 2.6

To make people or things leave by scaring them

is less about pursuit and more about preventing continuation or entry
to run off
vsto turn back
25 4.7

Make someone or something go away

focuses more on stopping or blocking progress or access generally

Antonyms

to allow
∞ 1.0

To let something happen or let someone do something

How Blocked

to stop
∞ 1.0
to turn back
17 2.0
to block
∞ 3.0
to obstruct
119 5.1
to hinder
75 3.6
to discourage
257 3.5

Surface Forms

turn back infinitive
turned back past
turned back past participle
turning back present participle
turns back third person singular

Morphology

turn + back

The meaning 'to go back or return' is directly and transparently derived from combining 'turn' (to change direction or move) with 'back' (toward a previous position). This verb + directional particle pattern is a common, compositional construction in English (and cross-linguistically), so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily infer the meaning.

Etymology

Turn back comes from the image of a guard or barrier making a traveller change direction; the guard might physically turn someone back at a gate so they cannot go on. That's why it means 'to stop or prevent someone or something from continuing'.