turn back
To reverse direction and retrace one's stepsTo reverse direction and retrace one's steps.
» Let's turn and go back now.
Lass uns jetzt umkehren!
Давай зараз розвернемося і підемо назад.
Meaning
7 senses(intransitive)To reverse direction and retrace one's steps.
Realising he had forgotten his briefcase, he turned back and re-entered the office.
retrace one's course
(transitive)To cause to reverse direction and retrace one's steps.
The barrage of machine-gun fire turned back the encroaching soldiers.
To return to a previous state of being.
He stopped drinking for a couple of years, but now he has turned back to his old ways.
Once we take this decision, there's no turning back.
go back to a previous state
(transitive)To prevent, or refuse to allow, passage or progress.
The soldiers turned back all the refugees at the frontier.
(transitive)To adjust to a previous setting.
In Autumn we normally turn the clocks back one hour.
I love that song: turn back to it!
(transitive)To fold something back; to fold down.
When you make the bed, please always turn the sheet back over the blanket.
(obsolete, transitive)To give back; to return.
Examples
244 sentencesLet's turn and go back now.
Давай зараз розвернемося і підемо назад.
deLass uns jetzt umkehren!
He got tired and turned back.
Він утомився й повернувся.
ruОн устал и повернул обратно.
Tom turned the light back on.
Том знову включив світло.
ruТом включил свет обратно.
deTom machte das Licht wieder an.
I guess there's no turning back now.
Думаю, шляху назад більше немає.
We must turn back.
Ми мусимо повернутися.
ruМы должны вернуться.
Forms
turns back, turning back, turned back, turned back| Base form | turn back · to turn back |
|---|---|
| 3rd person singular | turns back |
| Present participle | turning back |
| Past simple | turned back |
| Past participle | turned back |
irregular
Phrasal verbs
16 phrasal verbs- turn upз’являтисяTo show up; to appear suddenly or unexpectedly.
- turn offвимкнути, вимикатиUsed other than figuratively or idiomatically: see turn, off.
- turn outвийти, виходитиTo end up; to result.
- turn onвключати, вмикатиTo set a flow of fluid or gas running by rotating a tap or valve.
- turn inздати, здаватиTo submit something; to give.
- turn downвідмовити, відкинутиTo refuse, decline, or deny.
- turn backзупинитися, зупинятисяTo reverse direction and retrace one's steps.
- turn overдати, даватиTo flip over; to rotate uppermost to bottom.
More 8
- turn awayвідхилятися, відхилитисяTo rotate so as not to face someone or something.
- turn intoдістати, отримуватиTo become.
- turn aroundпідбирати, підніматиTo physically rotate (usually around a vertical axis) for a half turn (180 degrees), a whole turn (360 degrees), or an indefinite amount.
- turn toдістати, отримуватиWith to as particle
- turn aboutTo revolve.
- turn roundTo revolve or rotate around a centre.
- turn asideTo avert one's gaze
- turn againstTo rebel or oppose to something formerly supported.
Synonyms
23 synonyms- turn inside out or upside down:invertreverse
- hold back, as of a danger or an enemy; check the expansion or influence of:checkarreststopcontainhold back
- retrace one's course:backtrackdouble back
- force to go away; used both with concrete and metaphoric meanings:chase awaydrive outdrive awaydispeldrive offrun off
- go back to a previous state:revertreturnretrovertregress
Word family
1 related wordsLessons for this word
3 lessons- A1Present simple — Because it is a verb
- A1Past simple, regular verbs — Because of its past form
- A2Phrasal verbs: introduction — Because it is a phrasal verb