look back

verb

1. to cast one's mind to the past

2. to become increasingly successful

   after his book was published, he never looked back

3. to pay another visit later

Idioms and Phrases

Remember or think about the past, as in When Mom looked back on the early days of their marriage, she wondered how they'd managed with so little money . [Late 1500s]

not look back ; never look back . Never show signs of interrupted progress, never return to past circumstances. For example, Once he'd won the Pulitzer Prize, he never looked back . [Late 1800s]

Example Sentences

Next year the nation will celebrate its 250th birthday; we must look back to look forward.

From Los Angeles Times

Dr Joanne Summers, Luton Borough Council's principal educational psychologist, says the condition can appear suddenly but "when you look back, there has been anxiety around being in school" and one incident might be a "catalyst".

From BBC

British trumpeter Alison Balsom also looked back to her youth, as she gave her retirement performance at the age of 46.

From BBC

I look back when I was a kid and most of the things my mother and father did to me I was seeing as a punishment.

From BBC

If 30 years from now my grandchildren look back and wonder what happened, I hope they understand this much: Our hubris and arrogance were indicative of our ignorance and stupidity.

From Salon

Related Words

• commemorate 
• get 
• learn 
• recall 
• recognize 
• relive 
• remind