reflect on
Idioms-
Consider or think carefully about, as in She reflected on her country's role in history . [c. 1600] A closely related phrase is on due reflection , meaning “after careful consideration.” For example, On due reflection I decided to vote for the incumbent .
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reflect on one . Give evidence of one's qualities, as in The hasty preparation of this report will reflect on you . [Second half of 1600s]
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
It prompts us, as we bob about, to reflect on our own proclivities and preconceptions, our patterns of reception and perception.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 22, 2026
A large crowd packed into St Patrick's Church in Meenaweal, near Crolly, County Donegal, to reflect on and celebrate a life lived through music.
From BBC • Apr. 17, 2026
“In its report, the committee calls on Yale to reflect on and take responsibility for our role in the erosion of public trust,” McInnis wrote.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026
But it will also provide an opportunity to reflect on how to sustain the momentum in a year that could bring significant changes — such as the expected takeover of legendary studio Warner Bros.
From Barron's • Apr. 13, 2026
When I reflect on that moment now, the image blurs, reconstituting itself into that of a zealous knight astride a steed, charging into an imaginary battle, striking at shadows, hacking into thin air.
From "Educated" by Tara Westover
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
