intransitive verb
1.
a. : to stop going forward : refuse to go ahead
b. : to go in the reverse direction : return
it was getting late, time to turn back
2. : to refer to an earlier time or place
turn back to the first page
transitive verb
1. : to drive back or away : cause to return or to reverse direction
refugees were turned back at the frontier
2. : to stop the advance of : check
3. : to fold back