turn one's back

verb

To cease paying attention.

“As soon as I turned my back, he started writing on the wall.”

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Meanings

verbturn one's back (third-person singular simple present turns one's back, present participle turning one's back, simple past and past participle turned one's back)

present singular third person turns one's back · participle present turning one's back · participle past turned one's back · past turned one's back

  1. intransitiveTo cease paying attention.

    As soon as I turned my back, he started writing on the wall.

  2. figurativelyintransitiveTo forsake, to abandon; to ignore.

    He got off to a strong start, only to turn his back on the project two months later.

    2 more examples

    Acting on your best behaviour Turn your back on Mother Nature Everybody wants to rule the world

    1985, Roland Orzabal, Ian Stanley, Chris Hughes, “Everybody Wants to Rule the World”, in Songs from the Big Chair, performed by Tears for Fears

    In response to questions from RailReview, Royal Mail denied turning its back on rail transport completely, stressing it will continue to use rail, keeping the amount of mail moved by train under regular review.

    2024 October 30, Andy Comfort, “Can the Royal Mail trains keep on running?”, in RAIL, number 1021, page 62
  3. intransitiveTo turn away, as when fleeing or in contempt.

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
turn away

Translations

Dutch de rug toekeren
  • de rug toekerento forsake, to abandon; to ignore
Finnish kääntää selkänsä
  • kääntää selkänsäto forsake, to abandon; to ignore
French tourner le dos
  • tourner le dosto forsake, to abandon; to ignore
Hungarian hátat fordít
  • hátat fordítto forsake, to abandon; to ignore
Italian voltare le spalle, volgere le spalle
  • voltare le spalleto forsake, to abandon; to ignore
  • volgere le spalleto forsake, to abandon; to ignore
Polish odwracać się, odwrócić się
  • odwracać sięto forsake, to abandon; to ignore
  • odwrócić sięto forsake, to abandon; to ignore
Spanish dar la espalda
  • dar la espaldato forsake, to abandon; to ignore
Ukrainian відверта́тися, відверну́тися
  • відверта́тися (vidvertátysja)to forsake, to abandon; to ignore
  • відверну́тися (vidvernútysja)to forsake, to abandon; to ignore
Cite this entry
APA

turn one's back. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/turn%20one's%20back

MLA

“turn one's back.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/turn%20one's%20back. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “turn one's back,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/turn%20one's%20back.

Source: turn one's back on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.