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Glite Dictionary
⏪ To wish for the past 🎮 To undo actions
to rewind time

to rewind time

7.6
To imagine going back to an earlier time because you regret something
  • phrasal verb
translation icon : retroceder en el tiempo
  • After the argument, he wanted to rewind time to before things went wrong.

Or you can rewind time by one day once a year.

Examples

  • If only I could rewind time and fix my mistakes from last year.

  • Or you can rewind time by one day once a year.

    Viva La Dirt League

  • She often wishes she could rewind time to relive her favorite childhood memories.

Synonyms

to look back
vsto rewind time
323 2.6

Think about the past, especially a time you remember

is more about longing to return or revisiting memories with regret
to think back
vsto rewind time
92 1.9

Remember things that happened in the past

is more about wishing to return and revisiting memories with longing or regret
to retrace one's steps
vsto rewind time
15 4.3

To go back the same way you came to find something you lost

is more about imagining going back in time rather than physically retracing steps
to retrace
vsto rewind time
12 4.4

To think back over the events or steps that led to something

is more about wishing to go back emotionally and feeling regret while reflecting
to turn back the clock
vsto rewind time
  • Informal
11 5.2

To go back to an earlier time or wish you could

is more about imagining past events and revisiting them with regret or longing
to put the clock back
vsto rewind time
  • UK
7.6

To wish you could go back to an earlier time to change things or live it again

is focused on imagining past events with regret rather than aiming to change them

Antonyms

to move on
670 3.1

To start the next stage or activity and stop focusing on the past

How Much

to rewind time
7.6
to regret
481 1.2
to reflect
265 3.9
to remember
∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

rewind time infinitive
rewinding time present participle
rewinds time third person singular
rewound time past
rewound time past participle

Morphology

rewind + time

The meaning is directly compositional: 'rewind' (to reverse) applied to 'time' (the flow of moments) yields the clear idea of turning events backward. Even in the videogame sense of undoing recent actions this is a straightforward metaphor found across languages, so a B1 learner who knows both words will readily infer the meaning.

Etymology

Rewind time may come from old tapes and films. Imagine turning a cassette or film backwards to go back to an earlier scene, so rewind time gives the clear picture of going back in life to fix things, which is why it means 'to imagine or wish you could go back'.