turn back — to return in the direction you came from
phrasal verbB1IELTS 5+neutralcommon
to go back the way you came, usually because you cannot continue or have changed your mind.
Say it like a native
Textbook We were compelled to reverse our route due to the storm.
Native We had to turn back because of the storm.
'Turn back' is the everyday verb for going back the way you came.
Pattern: turn back (from/to/at)
In use
- It started raining so heavily that we had to turn back before reaching the park.daily life
- During my trip to the mountains, we decided to turn back halfway because the weather got worse and it wasn't safe to continue.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ We turned back to home.
✓ We turned back.
'Turn back' is used alone for reversing course — don't add 'to home' ('head back home' is fine).
Common collocations
turn back + reason— halfway, at the border, because of the weather, now
Don't confuse it
'Turn around' means to face the opposite direction, but 'turn back' means to go back the way you came.