to turn back / turn inside out
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to turn back
To change direction and go or drive back in the opposite direction from the one you came from.
Wir haben die Hälfte des Weges geschafft, bevor wir wegen des schlechten Wetters umkehren mussten.
We had made it halfway before we had to turn back because of the bad weather.
'Umkehren' (to turn back / turn inside out) is a separable verb. In a main clause, the prefix 'um' goes at the end. In a subordinate clause, the verb stays together, and in the infinitive with 'zu', 'zu' goes in the middle.
Wegen des Staus kehrten wir um.
Because of the traffic jam, we turned back.
The auxiliary verb depends on the meaning. When 'umkehren' describes movement or a figurative change of direction, the perfect tense is formed with 'sein'. When it means 'to turn something inside out', 'haben' is used.
Wir sind nach einer Stunde wieder umgekehrt.
We turned back again after an hour.
Whether 'umkehren' is transitive or intransitive indicates the meaning. If the verb has an accusative object, e.g. 'die Jacke' (the jacket), 'die Socken' (the socks), it means 'to turn inside out'. Without an object, it means 'to change direction' or 'to change oneself'.
Kannst du bitte deine Hose umkehren?
Can you please turn your pants inside out?
to turn / contact
'wenden' and 'umkehren' can both mean that you change your direction of movement and go or drive back. 'wenden' tends to emphasize the concrete turn or maneuver, for example with a car. 'umkehren' puts more emphasis on the decision to stop following the previous route and go back. That is why 'umkehren' also sounds good for hikes or journeys. Learners may confuse the words because both describe movement in the opposite direction. When the turning of the vehicle is important, 'wenden' fits. When the return as a decision is important, 'umkehren' fits.
Wegen des starken Schnees kehren die Wanderer nach einer Stunde um.
Because of the heavy snow, the hikers turn back after an hour.
Du darfst mit dem Auto erst hinter der Kreuzung wenden.
You may only turn the car around after the intersection.