go back
Third Person
goes back
Present Participle
going back
Past Tense
went back
Past Participle
gone back
1
to refer to something that occurred or was mentioned in the past
- During the discussion, he would often go back to the importance of teamwork.
- Let's go back to our earlier conversation about future plans.
- In her autobiography, she frequently goes back to her childhood memories.
- To answer the question, we need to go back to the basics of the theory.
- I'd like to go back to the question you raised about the project timeline.
Synonyms:
2
to return to a previous location, position, or state
- He decided to go back to the old town where he grew up.
- I need to go back to the office to retrieve a document I left behind.
- The TV we bought has a screen defect, so it will have to go back for a replacement.
- He was demoted at work due to a mistake but worked hard to go back to his previous job title.
- After a long illness, it took months for her to go back to her former level of fitness.
Synonyms:
3
to trace the existence or origin of something to a specific point in time
- The tradition of celebrating the festival goes back for centuries.
- The family's history in this town goes back to the early 19th century.
- The company's commitment to sustainability goes back for decades.
- The dispute between the neighboring countries goes back to the colonial era.
- The local library's archives go back to the founding of the town.
4
(of clocks) to have the time adjusted backward by one hour at the end of daylight saving time
- The time will go back by one hour when daylight saving time ends.
- We need to make sure all the clocks in the house go back on time.
- The clocks will go back automatically on your smart devices.
- Remember to reset your watch—the clocks go back this weekend.
- At the end of the summer, the clocks go back and we gain an extra hour of sleep.
5
to have a history of knowing or being acquainted with someone for an extended period
- The members of our book club go back ten years, sharing a passion for literature.
- Bob and I go back decades; we met during our time at the university.
- Lisa and Sarah go back to the days when they were roommates in college.