#!/bin/bash
seeOutput=`return`
echo $seeOutput

-bash: return: can only `return' from a function or sourced script

false ; echo $?
true ; echo $?

1
0

f()
{
   ls $AAA
   return $?
}

g()
{
   f
   return $?
}

d()
{
   g
   echo $?
}

AAA=
d

<contents of dir>
0

AAA=sdsasdasd
d

ls: sdsasdasd: No such file or directory
2