'turn back' definitions:
Definition of 'turn back'
(from WordNet)
verb
Retrace one's course; "The hikers got into a storm and had to turn back" [syn: backtrack, turn back, double back]
verb
Go back to a previous state; "We reverted to the old rules" [syn: revert, return, retrovert, regress, turn back]
verb
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" [syn: chase away, drive out, turn back, drive away, dispel, drive off, run off]
verb
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" [syn: check, turn back, arrest, stop, contain, hold back]
verb
Synonyms of 'turn back'
From: 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