no turning back
Past the threshold
No turning back describes a point beyond which retreat or reversal becomes impossible.
The phrase marks commitment to a course of action: Once we signed the contract, there was no turning back.
It often appears at moments of irreversible decision—crossing a threshold after which the only direction is forward.
- all-inFully committed, nothing held back
- finalityState of conclusive completion
- irrevocableCannot be undone
- Faustian bargainRuinous exchange for power
- irreversibilityState of being permanent
sealed fate · Rubicon · Pandora's box · threshold · burning bridges · cut ties · commitment · one-way street · gone too far · inevitability · all-or-nothing · do or die · all bets are off · resolve · determination · risk · leap of faith · moment of truth
- decisionschoice, make a decision, choices, yes, no
- pledgesvow, promise, I promise, wedding vows, I vow
- consequencesconsequence, consequences, result, results, effect
- doomdoomsday, impending doom, doom and gloom, doomed, sense of doom
- endingsending, the end, finish, close, final
- perseverancepersist, never give up, tenacity, hang in there, endurance
no turning backreversible
Able to be undone
undoable · revocable · retractable · changeable · rescindable
no turning backkeeping options open
Preserving future choices
noncommittal · on the fence · uncommitted · wait and see · playing it safe
no turning backturning back
Changing to opposite direction
going back · retreating · backtracking · starting over · about-face