way back
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way back
The route that leads from a reached destination or turning point back to the starting point of a trip or excursion.
Auf dem Rückweg vom Gipfel gerieten wir in ein Gewitter.
On the way back from the summit, we got caught in a thunderstorm.
The word is made up of 'Rück-' (from 'zurück', meaning back) and 'Weg' (way/path). So it literally describes the way that leads back to the starting point.
Der Rückweg war kürzer als der Hinweg.
The way back was shorter than the way there.
A very common construction is 'sich auf den Rückweg machen' (to set off on the way back). It means that you begin returning to the starting point.
Nach dem Picknick machten wir uns auf den Rückweg.
After the picnic, we set off on the way back.
To describe that something happens during the return, German uses the preposition 'auf' with the dative: 'auf dem Rückweg' (on the way back).
Auf dem Rückweg haben wir noch kurz bei meinen Großeltern angehalten.
On the way back, we briefly stopped by my grandparents' place.
return
'die Rückkehr' and 'der Rückweg' both belong to movement back. 'Rückkehr' emphasizes arriving or coming back at the starting point, for example home or to an earlier place. 'Rückweg' means the way or route that you walk or drive back. So you can be 'auf dem Rückweg' (on the way back) before the 'Rückkehr' happens. The words are easy to confuse because they can occur in the same situation. If you are talking about the route, use 'Rückweg'. If you are talking about arriving back, use 'Rückkehr'.
Wegen des Wetters dauert der Rückweg vom See heute länger.
Because of the weather, the way back from the lake is taking longer today.
Die Rückkehr der Fahrerin ist für den Abend geplant.
The driver's return is planned for the evening.