# bring back

CEFR A2 · Phrasal verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/bring-back
Updated: 2026-04-24

## Definition

to return something to its original place or to make you remember something from the past.

For teachers: to return an object to its source; also used figuratively to evoke memories or to reintroduce a previously discarded practice or law.

## Examples

- Please bring back my book tomorrow.
- Seeing those old photographs really brought back memories of our childhood holidays by the sea.
- The local council is under pressure to bring back the traditional market days to revitalise the struggling town centre.

## Pitfalls

- Not "Bring back it to the shop." but "Bring it back to the shop." — when the object is a pronoun like 'it', it must go between the verb and the particle.

## Usage notes

- when used for memories, the object is usually 'memories' or a specific time period.
- Teaching tip: distinguish between the physical sense (returning an object) and the psychological sense (recalling a memory); the latter is a very common collocation in English exams.

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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.