# double back

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/double-back
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To retrace one's steps; to go back where one has already gone.

## Examples

- I forgot my keys and had to double back home.
- The hiker realized he left his map at the campsite and had to double back to retrieve it.
- Sensing he was being followed through the labyrinthine streets, he decided to double back, hoping to catch his pursuer off guard in the narrow alleyway.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.