retrace
Americanverb (used with object)
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to trace backward; go back over.
to retrace one's steps.
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to go back over with the memory.
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to go over again with the sight or attention.
verb
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to go back over (one's steps, a route, etc) again
we retraced the route we took last summer
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to go over (a past event) in the mind; recall
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to go over (a story, account, etc) from the beginning
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
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."
Vocabulary lists containing retrace
Week 2: Trial and Error
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The First State of Being
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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.
Oil prices have yet to retrace their gains from March, and tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains well below levels from February, according to data from Kpler.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 15, 2026
“Historically, when you retrace this much of the decline, it’s a good sign,” he adds.
From Barron's • Apr. 10, 2026
A veteran homicide detective named Jim Ford tried to retrace Cynthia’s last steps.
From Slate • Apr. 6, 2026
The Philippines National Bureau of Investigation said it is coordinating with police and armed forces to retrace the pair’s movements from Nov. 1 to Nov. 28.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 17, 2025
“I was able to retrace at least some of his steps that day.”
From "Scythe" by Neal Shusterman
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.
