turn back

To change direction and go towards the place you came from.

• It is late; let us turn back.
• We turned back when the path became too steep.
• Should we turn back before the storm arrives?

Similar words: go back, return

Opposites: continue

Common phrases: turn back home, turn back now

To stop someone from entering a place or continuing their journey.

• The guards turned us back.
• Visitors without tickets were turned back at the entrance.
• Will the border police turn them back without passports?

How to use it: turn someone back at/from somewhere (They turned us back at the border.)

Similar words: turn away, refuse entry

Opposites: admit

Common phrases: turn back someone, turn someone back, turn back visitors

To force someone or something to move back towards where they came from.

• The guards turned back the attackers.
• Heavy gunfire turned the enemy troops back.
• The defenders managed to turn back another assault.

How to use it: turn back someone/something (The defenders turned back the advancing troops.)

Similar words: repel, drive back

Common phrases: turn back someone, turn someone back, turn back troops

To change a clock or other control to an earlier or previous setting.

• Turn the clock back tonight.
• We turned our clocks back by an hour.
• Have you turned the dial back to its original setting?

How to use it: turn something back by an amount (Turn the clock back by one hour.)

Similar words: set back, reset

Opposites: advance

Common phrases: turn something back, turn back clocks

To return to a condition, behaviour, or way of life you had before.

• He turned back to his old ways.
• In the story, the prince turns back into a frog.
• After years abroad, she turned back to her former way of life.

How to use it: turn back to something (He turned back to his old habits.); turn back into something (The prince turned back into a frog.)

Similar words: revert, return

Common phrases: turn back again, turn back eventually

To fold an edge or part of something so the other side becomes visible.

• Turn back the corner of the page.
• She turned the sheet back before getting into bed.
• He turned back his cuffs to show the lining.

How to use it: turn something back (Turn the top of the sheet back over the blanket.)

Similar words: fold back

Common phrases: turn something back, turn back cuffs