Meaning & use
hurry back
Last updated
Meanings
phraseintransitive
To return quickly to a place, or to be told to come back soon.
Grammar: No object; often followed by a place: hurry back to the office.
Patterns
- hurry back to somewhere
- hurry back home
She hurried back to the car when it started to rain.
Hurry back, we're about to cut the cake!
He had to hurry back to work after a short lunch.
phrasefixed phraseinformal
A friendly way of saying goodbye that expresses a wish to see someone again soon.
Grammar: Said as a command but meant warmly: Hurry back!
Patterns
- Hurry back!
Thanks for visiting, and hurry back!
The nurse smiled and said, 'Hurry back and see us.'
Word forms
| third person singular | hurries back |
|---|---|
| past tense | hurried back |
| past participle | hurried back |
| -ing form | hurrying back |
Common combinations
- hurry back to
- We hurried back to the hotel.
- hurry back home
- He hurried back home after the call.
- hurry back inside
- The children hurried back inside.
- hurry back soon
- Hurry back soon, we will miss you.
- hurry back with
- She hurried back with the keys.
Synonyms and how they differ
- rush back
- Rush back is more urgent and suggests panic, while hurry back may just be brisk.
- race back
- Race back suggests running at top speed, which hurry back does not.
- come back soon
- Come back soon is gentler and does not push the person to move fast.
- return
- Return is neutral and formal and does not mention speed.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: hurry back or hurry up?
hurry back vs hurry up
Hurry up means go faster, while hurry back means return quickly.
Practice
I'm going out for ten minutes, so I will ___.
Choose one answer.
Hurry back means come back soon after leaving, which suits a short trip. Hurry away or out describe leaving, and hurry up means speed up.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “hurry back”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.