turn back

turn back
verb
1. retrace one's course (Freq. 7)
-

The hikers got into a storm and had to turn back

• Syn: ↑backtrack, ↑double back
• Hypernyms: ↑return
• Verb Frames:
-

Something ——s

-

Somebody ——s

2. go back to a previous state (Freq. 4)
-

We reverted to the old rules

• Syn: ↑revert, ↑return, ↑retrovert, ↑regress
• Derivationally related forms:
↑regress (for: ↑regress), ↑regression (for: ↑regress), ↑retroversion (for: ↑retrovert), ↑return (for: ↑return), ↑reversive (for: ↑revert), ↑reversion (for: ↑revert), ↑reverting (for: ↑revert)
• Hypernyms: ↑change by reversal, ↑turn, ↑reverse
• Hyponyms:
• Verb Frames:
-

Something ——s

-

Somebody ——s

-

Something is ——ing PP

-

Somebody ——s PP

3. force to go away; used both with concrete and metaphoric meanings (Freq. 1)
-

Drive away potential burglars

-

drive away bad thoughts

-

dispel doubts

-

The supermarket had to turn back many disappointed customers

• Syn: ↑chase away, ↑drive out, ↑drive away, ↑dispel, ↑drive off, ↑run off
• Hypernyms: ↑move, ↑displace
• Hyponyms:
• Verb Group: ↑rout out, ↑drive out, ↑force out, ↑rouse
• Verb Frames:
-

Somebody ——s something

-

Somebody ——s somebody

-

Something ——s somebody

4. hold back, as of a danger or an enemy; check the expansion or influence of (Freq. 1)
-

Arrest the downward trend

-

Check the growth of communism in South East Asia

-

Contain the rebel movement

-

Turn back the tide of communism

• Syn: ↑check, ↑arrest, ↑stop, ↑contain, ↑hold back
• Derivationally related forms: ↑containment (for: ↑contain), ↑stop (for: ↑stop)
• Hypernyms: ↑defend
• Hyponyms: ↑cut down, ↑cut out
• Verb Frames:
-

Somebody ——s something

-

Somebody ——s somebody

-

Something ——s somebody

-

Something ——s something

5. turn inside out or upside down
• Syn: ↑invert, ↑reverse
• Derivationally related forms: ↑reversible (for: ↑reverse), ↑reverse (for: ↑reverse), ↑reversal (for: ↑reverse), ↑inversion (for: ↑invert), ↑inverter (for: ↑invert)
• Hypernyms: ↑change, ↑alter, ↑modify
• Verb Frames:
-

Somebody ——s something

-

Something ——s something

* * *

turn back (or turn someone/something back)
go (or cause to go) back in the direction in which one has come

they turned back before reaching the church

* * *

turn back [phrasal verb]
1 a : to move in the opposite direction in order to return to a place

The sun is setting. It's time to turn back.

It's too late to turn back. We have to keep going.

1 b : to return to an earlier place or time

Turn back to the first page.

Once you start the process, there's no turning back. [=you must continue the process]

2 turn back (someone or something) or turn (someone or something) back
2 a : to force (someone or something) to move in an opposite direction

They fought to turn back the enemy.

If I could turn back (the hands of) time [=return to a condition that existed in the past], I would.

2 b : to force (someone or something) to return to a place

The refugees were turned back at the border.

• • •
Main Entry: ↑turn

* * *

ˌturn ˈback | ˌturn sb/sthˈback derived
to return the way you have come; to make sb/sth do this

•

The weather became so bad that they had to turn back.

•

(figurative)

We said we would do it— there can be no turning back.

•

Our car was turned back at the border.

Main entry: ↑turnderived

Useful english dictionary. 2012.

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Synonyms:
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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Turn back — Album par Toto Sortie 1981 Enregistrement 1980 Durée 37min 43 Genre(s) rock Producteur(s) Toto …   Wikipédia en Français

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  • turn-back — turnˈ back adjective (able to be) folded back • • • Main Entry: ↑turn * * * [ tərnˌbak] n. a part of a garment that is folded back [as adj.] the jacket has turn back cuffs …   Useful english dictionary

  • Turn Back — may refer to:* Turn Back (Toto album) * Turn Back (The Pillows album) …   Wikipedia

  • turn|back — «TURN BAK», noun, adjective. –n. 1. a person who retreats or gives up an enterprise; quitter. 2. that part of anything that is folded or turned back: »He spread his hands on his chest, and touched the turnback of the sheet, and then the blanket… …   Useful english dictionary

  • turn back — index disavow, escheat, parry, regress, revert Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 …   Law dictionary

  • turn back — phrasal verb Word forms turn back : present tense I/you/we/they turn back he/she/it turns back present participle turning back past tense turned back past participle turned back 1) [intransitive/transitive] to return the same way that you came… …   English dictionary

  • turn back — 1) PHR V ERG If you turn back or if someone turns you back when you are going somewhere, you change direction and go towards where you started from. [V P prep/adv] She turned back towards the crossroads... [V P] They were very nearly forced to… …   English dictionary

  • turn back — verb a) To reverse direction and retrace ones steps. Realising he had forgotten his briefcase, he turned back to the office. b) To return to a previous state of being. He stopped drinking for a couple of years, but now he has turned back to his… …   Wiktionary

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