Turn Back (Verb)
Meaning 1
Turn inside out or upside down.
Classification
Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc..
Examples
- She carefully turned her pocket back inside out to search for the missing coin.
- He struggled to turn the stubborn container back right side up.
- The woman finally managed to turn the soggy umbrella back inside out to dry it properly.
- Be gentle when you turn the fragile vase back over to prevent any further damage.
- Try to turn the tangled hose back inside out to remove the knot.
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Meaning 2
Go back to a previous state; "We reverted to the old rules".
Classification
Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc..
Examples
- The company decided to turn back the clock and reintroduce the classic designs that made them famous.
- After the update, the game was causing bugs and performance issues, so the developers chosen to turn back to the previous version.
- In light of the new information, the committee voted to turn back to the original proposal.
- The artist sought to turn back time and recreate the styles of the masters from the past.
- During the testing phase, the engineers realized the new design wasn't working as planned and decided to turn back to the drawing board.
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Meaning 3
Retrace one's course; "The hikers got into a storm and had to turn back".
Classification
Verbs of walking, flying, swimming.
Examples
- They realized they were lost and had to turn back to find their way home.
- Due to bad weather, the flight was forced to turn back to its original destination.
- The adventurers tried to reach the summit, but were forced to turn back because of thick fog.
- After encountering a roadblock, the driver decided to turn back and explore a different route.
- As the darkness fell, the travelers reluctantly turned back to their starting point, conceding defeat.
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Hypernyms
Meaning 4
Force to go away; used both with concrete and metaphoric meanings; "Drive away potential burglars"; "drive away bad thoughts"; "dispel doubts"; "The supermarket had to turn back many disappointed customers".
Classification
Verbs of walking, flying, swimming.
Examples
- The barking dog helped turn back the suspicious stranger from the house.
- She took a few deep breaths to try and turn back the anxiety creeping over her.
- New security cameras were installed to turn back potential burglars from the neighborhood.
- The reassuring words from her friend failed to turn back her lingering doubts about the decision.
- Heavy rain forced the officials to turn back the parade participants for safety reasons.
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Meaning 5
Hold back, as of a danger or an enemy; check the expansion or influence of; "Arrest the downward trend"; "Check the growth of communism in South East Asia"; "Contain the rebel movement"; "Turn back the tide of communism".
Classification
Verbs of fighting, athletic activities.
Examples
- The government needs to turn back the wave of violent crime sweeping across the country.
- We must turn back the rise of extremist ideologies and promote peace and understanding.
- Efforts to turn back the environmental damage caused by pollution have been ongoing for years.
- Historians believe that the military campaign helped turn back the invading forces.
- Scientists have finally found a way to turn back the clock on aging-related diseases.