The word “returned” is employed in literature with remarkable versatility, functioning as both a literal indicator of movement and a metaphorical signifier of change or restoration. In some instances, it simply marks the act of coming back from a journey or a previous state, as seen when characters physically walk back—returning to companions or familiar settings ([1], [2], [3]). In other cases, “returned” implies the recurrence of a condition or emotion, such as pain reappearing ([4]) or memories flooding back ([5]). Authors also use it in dialogue tags to convey a character’s responsive, often nuanced, reaction, for example, when a character curtly “returned” a remark during a conversation ([6], [7]). Moreover, it can denote the act of giving something back, as when a book is returned unread ([8]). This array of uses underlines the word’s capacity to link past actions to present moments, enriching the narrative with layers of movement, emotion, and subtle interpersonal dynamics.