rewind

American  

[ree-wahynd, ree-wahynd] / riˈwaɪnd, ˈriˌwaɪnd /

verb (used with or without object)

rewound, rewinded, rewinding

1. to wind again.

2. to wind back to or toward the beginning; reverse.

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noun

1. an act or instance of rewinding.

2. Recording.

   1. a function of an audio or video recorder or player, as a cassette deck or DVR, that returns the audio or video incrementally to an earlier point.

   2. the button or other control that activates this reversing function.

3. a camera control or mechanism used to wind film back into a film cassette.

rewind British  

verb

1. (tr) to wind back, esp a film or tape onto the original reel

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noun

1. something rewound

2. the act of rewinding

Other Word Forms

• rewinder
  noun

Etymology

Origin of rewind

First recorded in 1710–20; re- + wind ²

Example Sentences

"If I could have one day back, I would rewind to that day," Owen later said.

From BBC • May 15, 2026

To rewind the tape, the court held that the NCAA’s restrictions on education-related benefits for student athletes violated federal antitrust laws.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 29, 2026

The team attempted to "rewind the clock" by about 80 million years, which is how long the rock is estimated to have been exposed at the Martian surface.

From Science Daily • Feb. 12, 2026

"There is a bittersweet feeling, and it is a bit after the Lord Mayor's Show. But you only have to rewind 36 hours when it was doom and gloom."

From Barron's • Dec. 27, 2025

To rewind into the past and warn them.

From "Thirteen Reasons Why" by Jay Asher

Related Words

• back up
• reverse
• undo