turn back as a verb: - 1
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turn back
verb
1 turn back
Retrace one's course:
— The hikers got into a storm and had to turn back.
synonyms: backtrack, double back.
2 turn back
Go back to a previous state.
synonyms: regress, retrovert, return, revert.
Roget 145:
revert,
turn back,
regress;
relapse
etc.
661;
recoil
etc.
277;
retreat
etc.
283;
restore
etc.
660;
undo,
unmake;
turn the tide,
roll back the tide,
turn the scale,
tip the scale.
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Roget 283:
recede,
regrade,
return,
revert,
retreat,
retire;
retrograde,
retrocede;
back out;
back down;
balk;
crawfish [U.S.],
crawl [Slang];
withdraw;
rebound
etc.
277;
go back,
come back,
turn back,
hark back,
draw back,
fall back,
get back,
put back,
run back;
lose ground;
fall astern,
drop astern;
backwater,
put about;
backtrack,
take the back track;
veer round;
double,
wheel,
countermarch;
ebb,
regurgitate;
jib,
shrink,
shy.
turn tail,
turn round,
turn upon one's heel,
turn one's back upon;
retrace one's steps,
dance the back step;
sound a retreat,
beat a retreat;
go home.
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Dutch: terugdraaien, terugkomen
3 turn back
4 turn back
Hold back, as of a danger or an enemy; check the expansion or influence of:
— Turn back the tide of communism.
synonyms: arrest, check, contain, hold back, stop.
Dutch: keren
5 turn back
Turn inside out or upside down.
synonyms: invert, reverse.
Dutch: omkeren, omdraaien
Moby thesaurus: about ship, assimilate to, avert, back and fill, bear away, bear off, bear to starboard, beat, beat about, beat back, become, box off, break, break back, bring about, bring round, bring to, brush off, cant, cant round, cast, cast about, change, change back, change course, change into, change over, change the heading, chase, chase away, chase off, come about, come again, come back, come home, come up again, convert, cry back, cut, dismiss, do a flip-flop, do an about-face, do over, double, double a point, double back, draw aside, drive away, drive back, ease off, echo, edge off, fend off, fetch about, flip-flop, fly off, gee, glance, glance off, go about, go back, go home, go off, gybe, hark back, haw, head off, heave round, hold off, jib, jibe, jibe all standing, keep coming, keep off, make, make over, make way for, miss stays, move aside, naturalize, pack off, ply, push back, put about, put back, react, reappear, rebuff, reconvert, recur, reduce to, refuse, render, reoccur, repeat, repel, repulse, resolve into, resound, resume, return, reverberate, reverse, revert, round a point, send away, send off, send packing, sheer, sheer off, shift, shove aside, shunt, shy, shy off, side, sidestep, sidetrack, sidle, slew, snub, spurn, steer clear of, step aside, swerve, swing round, swing the stern, switch, switch over, tack, throw about, thrust back, transform, turn, turn about, turn around, turn aside, turn away, turn into, veer, veer off, ward off, wear, wear ship, wind, yaw ... show more.
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