retrace

American  

[ri-treys] / 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

Etymology

Origin of retrace

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

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

“If the current leaders begin to consolidate or retrace, stronger participation from the broader market will likely be necessary to prevent the index from losing momentum.”

From Barron's ● Jun. 1, 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

“Our marriage will never survive this,” I thought, then began to retrace the previous day, then my entire life.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2025

As if on cue, all 150 of them joined hands and began to slowly retrace the same steps Martin Luther King, Jr., walked down over thirty years ago.

From "The Freedom Writers Diary" by The Freedom Writers

Directed by filmmaker Alex Thomas, the film retraces Damilola's final day and examines the environment and pressures shaping the lives of young people around him at that time.

From BBC ● Mar. 25, 2026

Documentarian Geeta Gandbhir retraces this slow-moving tragedy through the body camera footage of the exasperated officers who know that the caller, not the children, is the problem.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 10, 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

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

From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern

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

Following Friday’s bounce, stocks are set to open lower while oil prices have retraced some of their losses.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 20, 2026

Yet another future president might have retraced a path toward more balanced economic or security policies once the disadvantages of trade wars or diplomatic and military isolation became obvious.

From Salon ● Mar. 28, 2026

They anchored too tightly to precedent, particularly the market’s short-lived flare-up in June, which retraced once flows quickly normalized.

From Barron's ● Mar. 3, 2026

I retraced my steps through the great room, went up the stairs, and turned right.

From "Tangerine" by Edward Bloor

The 70-year-old pope himself carried a large wooden cross through all 14 stations retracing Jesus Christ's path to the tomb, marking a return to a tradition observed by John Paul II and Benedict XVI.

From Barron's ● Apr. 3, 2026

“They are retracing and mirroring the contours of human drama and debate, as documented in their vast training data.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 20, 2026

At City Hall, both supporters and critics of Bass have been retracing recent events, looking for clues as to how things went wrong.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 15, 2026

"We are not only retracing ancient pathways of trade, navigation, and cultural exchange, but also reaffirming India's position as a natural maritime bridge across the Indian Ocean."

From Barron's ● Dec. 29, 2025

In real life, Weary was retracing his steps, trying to find out what had happened to Billy.

From "Slaughterhouse-Five" by Kurt Vonnegut