retrace
verb
re·trace
(ˌ)rē-ˈtrās 
retraced; retracing
: to trace (something) again or back: such as
a
: to go over or along (something, such as a course or path) again often in a reverse direction
The hikers retraced the path back to the cabin.
… an expedition that retraced Theodore Roosevelt's route along a Brazilian river …—
Warren E. Leary
Warren E. LearyHe found his phone by retracing his steps/footsteps.
b
: to go over (something) again in memory : recall
Then she'd retrace memories of her mother, reminiscence, and find enough good things to bring joy back into her life …—Katherine Jones
Katherine Jones
c
: to discover the origin or early history of (something) by going back over previous steps
retrace (the origin of) a word to German
d
: to follow, study, or present (something) in detail or step by step
But there's also a new exhibition in the city that retraces the roots of the Italian fashion industry.—Patrick Boehler
Patrick BoehlerLet us retrace his argument.—José Eduardo González
José Eduardo González
e
: to write or draw (something, such as a letter or line) again
children tracing and retracing the alphabet
especially
: to write or draw directly over and following along (an existing line, letter, etc.)
The penciled shapes were retraced with black marker.
The challenge: Connect nine dots, arrayed in three rows of three, using four straight lines without retracing a line or lifting the pen. —Adam Piore
Adam Piore Examples of retrace in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Coinbase then proceeded to lose almost 60% of its value, retracing 100% of the way back to $150 in early April 2025.
—David Keller, CNBC, 8 May 2025
On the final day, members of the three organizations joined tens of thousands of people participating in a commemoration march that retraced the steps of those courageous civil rights activists of 1965.
—Marianne Schnall, Forbes.com, 5 May 2025
Get somebody else to retrace your steps and do a walk-through so nothing is missed.
—Nafeesah Allen, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 May 2025
The deep clean took about four times as long because the robot retraced its path multiple times.
—PC Magazine, 19 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for retrace
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David Keller, CNBC, 8 May 2025
On the final day, members of the three organizations joined tens of thousands of people participating in a commemoration march that retraced the steps of those courageous civil rights activists of 1965.
—Marianne Schnall, Forbes.com, 5 May 2025
Get somebody else to retrace your steps and do a walk-through so nothing is missed.
—Nafeesah Allen, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 May 2025
The deep clean took about four times as long because the robot retraced its path multiple times.
—PC Magazine, 19 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for retrace
Cite this Entry
“Retrace.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/retrace. Accessed 15 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
retrace
verb
re·trace
(ˌ)rē-ˈtrās
retraced; retracing
1
: to write or draw again or directly over
retraced the letters
2
: to go over (as a route) again or in a reverse direction
3
: to follow, study, or present in detail or in steps
4
: recall
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