Turn back means to go back the way you came before reaching where you were going. People say it when a journey is cut short because of the weather, danger or something forgotten. In a second meaning, turn someone back means to stop a person going any further, for example at a border or an entrance.
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turn back (at/from + place); turn + someone + back; there's no turning back
- It started snowing heavily, so we turned back before we reached the top.
- Fans without tickets were turned back at the stadium gates.
- Once you've signed the contract, there's no turning back.
What changed
First versionThe road was flooded, so we had to return back.
RevisionThe road was flooded, so we had to turn back.
Return already means 'go back', so return back says the same thing twice. If you stopped on the way and went back, say turn back. You can also just say return, but without back.
Turn back means to turn round in the middle of a journey. Go back means to return to a place you have been before, often after a long time away: I'm going back to Kazan in May. You can't say I turned back home after the holiday: nothing interrupted the journey.
Your turn
I've already sold my flat and bought the plane tickets, so there's no ___ now.
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turning back — The flat is sold and the tickets are bought, so changing your mind is no longer possible: there's no turning back. In returning back, the word back is unnecessary, because return already means 'go back'.
Think of a trip or a walk you had to cut short. Write where you were going and why you turned back.
We were driving to the lake when my son felt sick, so we turned back and went home.
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