go back

phrasal verb

went back; gone back; going back; goes back
1
: to return to a place
I forgot my purse and had to go back for it.
After college she went back home.
Go back inside! You'll catch cold.
2
: to return to doing something
I turned off the alarm and went back to sleep.
He waved hello, then went right back to work.
She went back to eating her dinner.
3
: to have existed for a particular amount of time or since a particular period
These ruins go back hundreds of years.
4
: to have known each other for an amount of time
We go back 30 years.
He and I go back a long way.
5
: to think or talk about something from the past
To fully understand the issues, we have to go back a few years.

Examples of go back in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
The relationship between Sam Altman and Elon Musk goes back to the early days of OpenAI—then a nonprofit research lab. Lauren Goode, WIRED, 20 Feb. 2025 In September, after Kim sustained a season-ending shoulder injury, Bogaerts went back to shortstop on a then-temporary basis. Dennis Lin, The Athletic, 20 Feb. 2025 But one year ago, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman announced the new 4 Nations Face-Off was born and NHL players would go back to the Olympics in 2026 and 2030. Ryan Morik, Fox News, 20 Feb. 2025 Here are four key points: The tradition of independent agencies goes back to the 1880s. Steve Inskeep, NPR, 20 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for go back

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Cite this Entry

“Go back.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/go%20back. Accessed 27 Feb. 2025.

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