retrace
verb
re·trace
(ˌ)rē-ˈtrās 
retraced; retracing
: to trace (something) again or back: such as
a
: to go over or along (something, such as a course or path) again often in a reverse direction
The hikers retraced the path back to the cabin.
… an expedition that retraced Theodore Roosevelt's route along a Brazilian river …—
Warren E. Leary
Warren E. LearyHe found his phone by retracing his steps/footsteps.
b
: to go over (something) again in memory : recall
Then she'd retrace memories of her mother, reminiscence, and find enough good things to bring joy back into her life …—Katherine Jones
Katherine Jones
c
: to discover the origin or early history of (something) by going back over previous steps
retrace (the origin of) a word to German
d
: to follow, study, or present (something) in detail or step by step
But there's also a new exhibition in the city that retraces the roots of the Italian fashion industry.—Patrick Boehler
Patrick BoehlerLet us retrace his argument.—José Eduardo González
José Eduardo González
e
: to write or draw (something, such as a letter or line) again
children tracing and retracing the alphabet
especially
: to write or draw directly over and following along (an existing line, letter, etc.)
The penciled shapes were retraced with black marker.
The challenge: Connect nine dots, arrayed in three rows of three, using four straight lines without retracing a line or lifting the pen. —Adam Piore
Adam Piore Examples of retrace in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
His dilemma is punctuated by vibrant flashbacks, mini-novels in their own right, retracing the path that brought him here.
—Hamilton Cain, Washington Post, 30 July 2024
Investigators have begun retracing the suspect's steps in an attempt to figure out how Crooks could have made it up onto the roof, which had been swept before the event, law enforcement sources told ABC News.
—Pierre Thomas, ABC News, 15 July 2024
Misplacing things and losing the ability to retrace steps.
—Fran Kritz, Verywell Health, 19 July 2024
The responding officers retraced the suspect’s steps, and, about 10 minutes later, they were led to a pet store, Petland, after finding a dog in the shopping center.
—Greg Wehner, Fox News, 11 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for retrace 
Hamilton Cain, Washington Post, 30 July 2024
Investigators have begun retracing the suspect's steps in an attempt to figure out how Crooks could have made it up onto the roof, which had been swept before the event, law enforcement sources told ABC News.
—Pierre Thomas, ABC News, 15 July 2024
Misplacing things and losing the ability to retrace steps.
—Fran Kritz, Verywell Health, 19 July 2024
The responding officers retraced the suspect’s steps, and, about 10 minutes later, they were led to a pet store, Petland, after finding a dog in the shopping center.
—Greg Wehner, Fox News, 11 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for retrace
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'retrace.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near retrace
Cite this Entry
“Retrace.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/retrace. Accessed 18 Aug. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
retrace
verb
re·trace
(ˌ)rē-ˈtrās
retraced; retracing
1
: to write or draw again or directly over
retraced the letters
2
: to go over (as a route) again or in a reverse direction
3
: to follow, study, or present in detail or in steps
4
: recall
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