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

to turn back

26 2.0
To stop someone from going forward or entering
  • phrasal verb
  • /tɜrn bæk/
: 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
220 3.5

To keep something dangerous from spreading or getting worse

is more general, applying to blocking movement or access as well
to push back
vsto turn back
196 3.9

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

often prevents progress without necessarily pushing things backward
to halt
vsto turn back
178 2.4

To stop moving or make something stop moving

is broader, also covering prevention before action begins
to hold back
vsto turn back
141 3.2

Stop someone or something from moving forward

covers prevention in more situations including blocking entry
to drive out
vsto turn back
124 3.8

Force someone or something to leave a place

also covers prevention of entry or forward progress, not only removal
to turn away
vsto turn back
83 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
75 3.4

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

can prevent continuing or entering more broadly, not only by alienation
to set back
vsto turn back
53 4.2

To cause a delay and slow progress

tends to stop or block progress entirely rather than just delay it
to run off
vsto turn back
40 4.7

Make someone or something go away

focuses more on stopping or blocking progress or access generally
to chase away
vsto turn back
38 2.6

To make people or things leave by scaring them

is less about pursuit and more about preventing continuation or entry
to drive off
vsto turn back
35 4.0

Force someone or something to leave using threats

is broader, covering any action that blocks continuation or access
to arrest
vsto turn back
24 3.9

To stop or slow the progress of something

is similar but focuses more on preventing entry or forward movement
to check
vsto turn back
20 3.7

Stop something from growing or spreading

is more active, often preventing motion or access outright

Antonyms

to allow
∞ 1.0

To let something happen or let someone do something

How Blocked

to stop
∞ 1.0
to turn back
26 2.0
to block
989 3.0
to obstruct
89 5.1
to hinder
75 3.6
to discourage
152 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'.