Definitions of turn back:

  • verb:   hold back, as of a danger or an enemy; check the expansion or influence of
    Example: "Turn back the tide of communism"
  • verb:   retrace one's course
    Example: "The hikers got into a storm and had to turn back"
  • verb:   force to go away; used both with concrete and metaphoric meanings
    Example: "The supermarket had to turn back many disappointed customers"
  • verb:   go back to a previous state