back turned

USAGE SUMMARY

"back turned" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use this phrase when you want to emphasize that someone is deliberately avoiding facing someone or something. For example, "She walked away with her back turned, refusing to look back at him."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Wiki

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

59 human-written examples

He has his back turned.

The New Yorker

"Never have your back turned".

The New York Times

Rivera stood with his back turned.

The New Yorker

"I knew you right away, even with your back turned.

The New York Times - Books

Back turned both bowed with equal plod they go.

The New York Times - Books

She kept her back turned, even after she'd stepped inside.

The New Yorker

While one faces the viewer, the other has its back turned.

The New York Times - Arts

He went on in this way while I stood there with my back turned.

The New Yorker

Bradley is recovering a loose ball, say, with his back turned to the other Princeton players.

The New Yorker

West, with his back turned, raised his arms and batted it away.

The New York Times - Sports

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

1 human-written examples

"This is grassroots football," says Mike Dean, 50, the club's left-back, turned secretary, turned philosophical treasurer.

Independent

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

In sports reporting, use the phrase to describe defensive maneuvers or missed opportunities where a player was not oriented toward the ball.

Common error

Avoid using "back turned" as a substitute for "turned back" when you mean someone returned to a location. While "back turned" describes orientation, "turned back" refers to the action of reversing direction or returning. Additionally, be careful not to confuse it with the phrasal verb "turned out", which indicates a result or discovery.

Linguistic Context

In Ludwig, the phrase "back turned" typically functions as a participle phrase or an adjective phrase. It describes the state of a subject in relation to their orientation. It often appears as an object complement or an adverbial modifier explaining how an action was performed.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

65%

Wiki

20%

Science

10%

Less common in

Formal & Business

3%

Academia

1%

Encyclopedias

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "back turned" is a highly reliable and common expression in English used to describe physical orientation. Analysis from Ludwig reveals that it is most frequently utilized in journalistic contexts to describe vulnerability or lack of attention, but it also maintains a presence in scientific and instructional writing. It is grammatically classified as an adjective phrase that effectively communicates a subject's posture. Ludwig AI highlights that while it is simple in structure, its narrative weight is significant, often appearing in pivotal moments of stories or reports. Overall, it is a versatile tool for any writer looking to precisely map the physical relationship between subjects and their environment.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

facing away

Directly describes the physical orientation without the specific anatomical focus on the back.

having one's back turned

Adds a possessive and auxiliary verb structure to emphasize the state.

with one's back to

Uses a prepositional structure to define the orientation relative to a specific object or person.

turned away

Focuses more on the action of turning rather than the resulting static posture.

looking the other way

Shifts focus from the body's orientation to the direction of gaze, often with metaphorical connotations.

facing the opposite direction

A more literal and descriptive way to state the same orientation.

looking away

Specifically refers to the eyes or head movement rather than the entire body position.

not facing

A negative construction that identifies the lack of forward orientation.

with a turned back

A less common noun-phrase variation describing the same condition.

positioned away

Used in more clinical or technical contexts to describe placement.

FAQs

How to use "back turned" in a sentence?

You can use "back turned" as a descriptive phrase following a subject, such as in "He stood with his back turned to the crowd". It often follows verbs like "have", "keep" or "stand".

What can I say instead of "back turned"?

Depending on your context, you can use phrases like "<a href="/s/facing+away" target="_blank" rel="alternative">facing away", "<a href="/s/with+one's+back+to" target="_blank" rel="alternative">with one's back to" or "<a href="/s/looking+the+other+way" target="_blank" rel="alternative">looking the other way".

Is "back turned" formal?

The phrase is neutral and versatile. It is commonly found in both formal literature and academic journals like <a href="/s/Plosone" target="_blank" rel="alternative">Plosone, as well as in everyday news reporting.

What is the difference between "back turned" and "turned back"?

The phrase "back turned" refers to a physical state of facing away, while "<a href="/s/turned+back" target="_blank" rel="alternative">turned back" usually refers to the action of returning to a previous location or abandoning a journey.