to look back; to recall; to trace back
Meanings
2 senses · 7 examplesverb
to look back; to recall; to reminisce
formalOften used for thoughtful recollection of past events, experiences, or history.
He often reminisces about his childhood.
Looking back at history, we can draw many lessons.
Show 2 more examplesShow fewer examples
At the graduation ceremony, the principal led everyone in looking back at the school's glorious history.
Opening the old photo album, he couldn't help but recall those difficult years of starting a business.
verb
to trace back; to retrace; to go back (in time or sequence)
formalUsed more formally to trace the origin or sequence of events, often in logic, investigation, or historical analysis.
To find the root of the problem, we must trace back to the initial planning stage.
This family tree can clearly be traced back to the early Ming dynasty.
Show 1 more exampleShow fewer examples
When a computer program encounters an error, debuggers need to retrace the execution steps of the code.