Revert / Revert Back

Certain sets of words in the English language tend to confuse people. I have found the following to be among them:

REVERT / REVERT BACK

The verb revert in its most common usage means go back. The term revert back, therefore, is redundant.

This verb is not normally used in the sense of returning to a place but rather to a type of behavior or way of doing things

INCORRECT: Once he got divorced, he reverted back to his old bachelor ways.

CORRECT: Once he got divorced, he reverted to his old bachelor ways.

NOTE: The same rule holds true for return and return back. You can return to a place or go back to a place where you have been before, but to say “I’m going to return back home after my vacation” would be redundant.

© 2021 Ann Henry, all rights reserved.

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