retrace

American  

[ri-trays] / rɪˈtreɪs /

verb (used with object)

• retraces,
  present (3rd person singular)
• retraced,
  past participle,  past
• retracing
  present participle

1. to trace backward; go back over.

   to retrace one's steps.

2. to go back over with the memory.

3. to go over again with the sight or attention.

4. re-trace.

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retrace British  

/ rɪˈtreɪs /

verb

1. to go back over (one's steps, a route, etc) again

   we retraced the route we took last summer

2. to go over (a past event) in the mind; recall

3. to go over (a story, account, etc) from the beginning

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• retracement
  noun
• nonretraceable
  adjective
• retraceable
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Participles

• retracing
  present
• retraced
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• retrace
  simple
• retraces
  simple
• have retraced
  perfect
• has retraced
  perfect
• am retracing
  progressive
• are retracing
  progressive
• is retracing
  progressive
• have been retracing
  perfect progressive
• has been retracing
  perfect progressive

Past

• retraced
  simple
• had retraced
  perfect
• was retracing
  progressive
• were retracing
  progressive
• had been retracing
  perfect progressive

Future

• will retrace
  simple
• will have retraced
  perfect
• will be retracing
  progressive
• will have been retracing
  perfect progressive

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Etymology

Origin of retrace

1690–1700; < French retracer, Middle French retracier, equivalent to re- re- + tracier to trace ¹

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Explanation

To retrace is to walk the same path again, or to follow a path someone else has taken. You could visit the town your ancestors came from and attempt to retrace their steps there. When you lose your glasses, some helpful person may ask you, "Did you retrace your steps?" What they're suggesting is that you walk everywhere you went earlier, checking as you go to see if you left them on a table or desk nearby. A detective will also retrace someone's steps to solve a crime, looking for clues while walking where the suspect walked. Trace means "outline," but also "follow a line or a path."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

retrace retraces retraced retracing

That has seen the U.S. rates market almost fully retrace the dovish repricing that followed last week’s softer inflation numbers, says Tony Sycamore, market strategist at IG Markets.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026

With Ukrainian airspace closed because of the war with Russia, they will then retrace their steps to Poland and fly to London for next week's second leg.

From BBC ● Apr. 30, 2026

But there’s a limit to how many similar instances, all with the same structure, the film can retrace before it gives way to monotony.

From Salon ● Apr. 26, 2026

He also spoke briefly about his upcoming episodic HBO series, “Life, Larry and the Pursuit of Happiness,” a historical spoof that will retrace United States history for the country’s 250th founding anniversary.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 19, 2026

We unconsciously retrace the thoughts of our remote ancestors.

From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan

“Remake” retraces Adrian’s childhood while filling in the details of the director’s life after “Photographic Memory,” including brain surgery and the dissolution of his 24-year marriage.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 16, 2026

Running until March 8, the exhibit retraces the journeys made by the researcher, who died in 2003.

From Barron's ● Jan. 16, 2026

OTTAWA—Retailers in Canada saw a jump in sales in November that retraces weak trade in recent months, hinting at a recovery in household consumption heading into the important holiday season.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 19, 2025

The Documentary: Victoria Uwonkunda retraces her journey to escape Rwanda's genocide 30 years and meets victims and perpetrators of the violence finding a way to reconcile and forgive.

From BBC ● Apr. 5, 2024

He retraces his steps, growing more anxious with each turn.

From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern

When she retraced her steps the next day, all the posters had been taken down.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026

To determine when the ability developed and how it changed over time, the team retraced lactoferrin's evolutionary history and reconstructed versions belonging to its extinct ancestors.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 28, 2026

The oil market did a “good job in making up for the supply cut off” from Iran, which is why prices retraced so sharply, Edward Meir, an analyst at financial-services platform Marex, told MarketWatch.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 30, 2026

And then he retraced his steps across the 150-foot wide thoroughfare that knifes through the heart of the city along what once was the Red Car line of the Pacific Electric Railway.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 20, 2026

The goodbyes happened in a heartbreaking blur, and, before I knew it, we’d retraced our steps through the maze of corridors and staircases and left the house.

From "Code Name Kingfisher" by Liz Kessler

Debbie Duncan says retracing her son Jay Slater''s footsteps has given her "more closure"

From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026

The Nasdaq composite dropped 0.9%, retracing some earlier losses.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026

The dollar is currently around 159.30 yen, retracing roughly half its original gains.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 11, 2026

But Mr. Devine, who served as Mr. Sanders’s chief strategist, isn’t merely retracing the journey.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026

He had no plan or strategy in this but the retracing of his course.

From "A Wizard of Earthsea" by Ursula K. Le Guin

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