retrace

American  

[ri-treys] / rɪˈtreɪs /

verb (used with object)

retraced, retracing

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

• nonretraceable adjective
• retraceable adjective
• retracement noun

Etymology

Origin of retrace

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

Example Sentences

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

Fellow hobbits “Sam, Merry and Pippin set out to retrace the first steps of their adventure” while a new generation seeks to unearth a “long-buried secret.”

From Los Angeles Times

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

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

From The Wall Street Journal

I sprang up from the bench, looking beneath it, retracing my steps through the station.

From Literature