come back — return
phrasal verbB1IELTS 5+neutralcommon
to return to a place where you were before.
Say it like a native
Textbook I shall return to this location in approximately one hour.
Native I'll come back in about an hour.
'Come back' is the everyday verb for returning; 'return to this location' is stiff.
Pattern: come back (to/from somewhere)
In use
- She came back from her holiday last night.daily life
- If I could travel anywhere, I’d love to visit Japan and then come back with lots of new experiences.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ She came back to home late.
✓ She came back home late. / She came home late.
No 'to' before 'home' — 'come back home' or just 'come home'.
Common collocations
come back (to)— home, later, to work, soon
Don't confuse it
'Go back' is used when the speaker is not at the place being returned to.
Related
- come back (become popular again) — Another meaning of 'come back' is 'become popular again'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.