Send back meaning
Send back means to return something to where it came from, often because it is wrong or broken. It can also mean to make someone go back to the place they came from.
send something back
send back · sent · sending
The shoes were too small, so I sent them back.
Send back meanings and examples
2 meanings, each with its own CEFR level. A level marked ~ is our estimate: Oxford and Cambridge give none for that meaning.
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1
Return something to where it came from, often because it is wrong or broken
send something back
- The shoes were too small, so I sent them back.
- My soup was cold, so I sent it back to the kitchen.
- Can I send back the jacket if I don’t like it?
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2
Make someone go back to the place they came from
send somebody back
- He forgot his passport, so they sent him back home.
- The new players were sent back to the youth team.
- Don’t send me back to that hotel!
Café orders
New friends
At the airport
Slova
Use send back in real conversations
- Learn new words with picture cards
- Talk with Felix, an AI tutor, about the things you love
- Short lessons at your level, a few minutes a day
Is send back separable?
Send back is separable: send back the parcel, send the parcel back. With a pronoun, it goes in the middle: send it back, not send back it.
Use to for the place or the person: send it back to the shop. In a restaurant, send back food means ask the waiter to take it away because there is a problem.
Verb tenses for send back
| Present | I send back · she sends back |
|---|---|
| Past | sent back |
| Present perfect | have sent back |
| -ing form | sending back |
Common mistakes with send back
What learners often say, and what to say instead.
Wrong: The phone was broken, so I sent back it.
Right: The phone was broken, so I sent it back.
A pronoun goes between send and back.
Wrong: I sent back the book at the library.
Right: I sent the book back to the library.
Use to for the place where something goes.
Wrong: I sent back to him the letter.
Right: I sent the letter back to him.
Put the thing first and to plus the person at the end.
Synonyms and opposites of send back
Words close to it, and words that mean the opposite.
Similar
- returnthe formal word: return an item
- give backreturn something by hand, not by post
- take backreturn something to a shop yourself; or a shop accepts it
Opposite
- keepdecide not to return something
- send outsend something to many people
Send back quiz
Three quick questions. Pick an answer to see if it is right and why.
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1The dress didn’t fit, so I ___ to the online shop.
Send back means return something; the pronoun goes in the middle.
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2Choose the right sentence.
Put the thing in the middle or after back, and to plus the person at the end.
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3In a restaurant your steak is raw. What can you do?
Sending food back means asking the kitchen to take it and fix it.
More phrasal verbs with send
2 phrasal verbs start with send. Test yourself on all of them in a few minutes.
Send back FAQ
Questions people ask about send back.
Is it rude to send food back?
No, if there is a real problem, like cold or wrong food. Say it politely: Sorry, this is cold. Could you send it back?
Send back vs give back: what is the difference?
Send back usually means by post or through other people. Give back means you hand it to the person yourself.
Send back vs return: which should I use?
Both are fine. Return is more formal and common in shop rules: Items can be returned within 30 days.
Use send back in real conversations
In Slova you learn new words with picture cards, then use them when you talk about the things you love. A few minutes a day, at your level.