turned back

verb

past tense of turn back
as in repulsed
to drive back a cavalry charge that was turned back by withering fire

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of turned back At a polling station in Rio de Janeiro, the voting machines had already been switched off minutes after polls were set to close and couldn't be turned back on. — Arkansas Online, 26 Oct. 2026 At a polling station in Rio de Janeiro, the voting machines had already been switched off minutes after polls were set to close and couldn’t be turned back on. — Eléonore Hughes, Los Angeles Times, 25 Oct. 2026 The fall 2026 collection from Taller Marmo turned back the clock with its designs, creating dresses and gowns inspired by film noir, Old Hollywood glamour and 1920s evening wear, a fit for her club-crooner aesthetic. — Julia Teti, Footwear News, 23 Oct. 2026 The clocks haven’t turned back yet, but the mood shift is already underway. — Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 23 Oct. 2026 The plane turned back to the airport for an emergency landing, and Kindel was transported by ambulance to a nearby hospital for observation before being released on Wednesday. — ABC News, 22 Oct. 2026 The two giggled momentarily before Quiñonez turned back and answered candidly. — Jake McCreven, Hartford Courant, 4 Oct. 2026 An Israeli military official said its fighter jets had turned back before the plane landed at Tabuk. — Gerry Shih, Washington Post, 30 Sep. 2026 About halfway through the evening, attention turned back to Pugh as Guiducci and Bajaria lauded the Oscar-nominee. — Chris Murphy, Vanity Fair, 30 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for turned back
  1. repulsed
  2. turned away
  3. repelled
  4. resisted
Verb
  • Young people just aren’t interested, partly because they’re repulsed by bodily fluids.
    — Marta Balaga, Variety, 16 Sep. 2026
  • His recent comments didn’t favor the Browns fanbase, and many Cleveland fans seem viscerally repulsed by him.
    — Andy Behrens, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of repulsed
Verb
  • Fred VanVleet made two free throws for the final points after Thompson turned away the 7-foot-4 Wembanyama in the lane as the Rockets started their season with two victories.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026
  • He got stuffed by double-team blocks and turned away by larger Toronto wings, who manhandled the slighter forward in his attempts to create downhill momentum.
    — Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of turned away
Verb
  • Even some supporters of capital punishment, including a number of Republican lawmakers, seemed repelled by the prospect.
    — Amy Davidson Sorkin, New Yorker, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Some microbiomes attracted the skeeters; others repelled them.
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of repelled
Verb
  • The companies furthermore threatened to invoke eminent domain to simply take land if the community resisted.
    — Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor, New Yorker, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Gilder resisted officers during a traffic stop and swallowed several items as he was taken into custody, according to the affidavit.
    — Silas Morgan, The Orlando Sentinel, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of resisted

Browse Nearby Words

turned away
turned back
turned color
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Cite this Entry

“Turned back.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/turned%20back. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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