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
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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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
Cite this Entry
“Go back.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/go%20back. Accessed 1 Mar. 2025.
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