Turn back meaning
Turn back means to return the way you have come, or make someone do this. It can also mean to fold something back.
turn something back
turn back · turned · turning
We had to turn back because of the snow.
Turn 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 the way you have come, or make someone do this
turn something back
- We had to turn back because of the snow.
- The police turned the cars back at the bridge.
- Don’t turn back now. You’re nearly there.
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2
Fold something back
turn something back
- She turned back the blanket and sat down.
- He turned the page corner back.
- Please turn the sheet back for me.
Café orders
New friends
At the airport
Slova
Use turn 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 turn back separable?
Turn back has no object when you return: We turned back. When someone makes others return, it is separable: turn the car back, turn it back.
Turn back the clock is a fixed phrase meaning return to an earlier time: If I could turn back the clock, I would stay. There is no turning back is a famous phrase for a decision that cannot change.
Verb tenses for turn back
| Present | I turn back · she turns back |
|---|---|
| Past | turned back |
| Present perfect | have turned back |
| -ing form | turning back |
Common mistakes with turn back
What learners often say, and what to say instead.
Wrong: We turned back to home.
Right: We turned back and went home.
Turn back is followed by a second verb or by and. Without it, use go back home.
Wrong: The guard turned back them.
Right: The guard turned them back.
A pronoun goes between turn and back.
Wrong: We turned back the same road.
Right: We turned back along the same road.
Add a preposition (along, down) before the road.
Synonyms and opposites of turn back
Words close to it, and words that mean the opposite.
Similar
- go backreturn to a place
- turn aroundchange direction to face the other way
- retreata formal word for moving back from danger
Opposite
Turn back quiz
Three quick questions. Pick an answer to see if it is right and why.
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1The storm was too strong, so the climbers ___.
Turn back means return the way you came.
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2Choose the right sentence.
A pronoun goes in the middle.
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3“There’s no turning back.” What does it mean?
No turning back means you cannot return to the old situation.
More phrasal verbs with turn
All phrasal verbs with turn, by level, with an exercise
11 phrasal verbs start with turn. Test yourself on all of them in a few minutes.
- turn onA2make a light, machine or tap start working
- turn offA2make a light, machine or tap stop working
- turn intoB1change and become something different
- turn aroundB1change direction to face the other way
- turn overB1move something so the other side faces up
- turn awayB1turn your face or body so you do not look at something
- turn downB2say no to an offer, an invitation or a person
- turn upB2arrive, often late or when nobody expects you
- turn outB2happen or end in a particular way
- turn inB1give something to a teacher, a boss or an authority
Turn back FAQ
Questions people ask about turn back.
What does turn back mean?
It means return in the direction you came from. Because of the fog, we turned back.
What does “turn back the clock” mean?
It means go back to an earlier time. It is often used when you wish something had not happened.
What is the difference between turn back and go back?
Turn back says you changed direction and returned. Go back just says you returned somewhere.
Use turn 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.