tɜːrn bæk
neutral
intermediate
- Base verb:
- turn
- Particle:
- back
- Separable:
- Yes
What does "turn back" mean?
- To return in the direction you came from
- To refuse to allow someone to enter or continue
- To return to an earlier state or time (figurative)
Examples
- The weather got so bad that we had to turn back.
- The guards turned back everyone without proper ID.
- Once you sign the contract, there's no turning back.
- We can't turn back the clock on climate change.
- They turned back at the border due to missing documents.
How to use it
'No turning back' or 'There's no turning back' means a decision is final and cannot be reversed. Common in dramatic or decisive moments.
Word order
When meaning return: not separable. When refusing entry: separable ('turn someone back').
Similar expressions
return
go back
retreat
refuse entry
reverse
Opposites
continue
proceed
advance
allow
Related phrasal verbs
- turn on
To start a device or appliance by pressing a switch or button
- turn off
To stop a device or appliance by pressing a switch or button
- turn out
To have a particular result or end in a certain way
- turn down
To reduce the volume, heat, or intensity of something
- turn up
To increase the volume, heat, or intensity of something
- turn into
To change or transform into something different
Use it in a practice answer
Try "turn back" in a CELPIP-style Speaking or Writing task. The AI feedback tells you whether your word choice worked.