Look back meaning
Look back means to think about something that happened in the past. It can also mean to turn your head to see what is behind you.
look back something
look back · looked · looking
I often look back on my school days.
Look back meanings and examples
3 meanings, each with its own CEFR level. A level marked ~ is our estimate: Oxford and Cambridge give none for that meaning.
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1
Think about something that happened in the past
look back something
- I often look back on my school days.
- Looking back, I should have said no.
- She looked back at her first year with a smile.
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2
Turn your head to see what is behind you
look back
- He looked back and waved goodbye.
- Don’t look back, just keep running.
- I looked back and saw the dog following us.
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3
Read again something you saw earlier
look back something
- Look back at page ten if you forgot the rule.
- I looked back at my notes before the test.
- Let’s look back at yesterday’s email.
Café orders
New friends
At the airport
Slova
Use look back in real conversations
- Learn new words with picture cards
- Talk with Felix, an AI tutor, about the things you love
- Short lessons at your level, a few minutes a day
Is look back separable?
Look back is not separable. For the past, add on or at: look back on those years, look back at that day. For turning your head there is no object.
Looking back is a common way to start a sentence about the past: Looking back, I was very young. Never look back means never feel sorry about a choice.
Verb tenses for look back
| Present | I look back · she looks back |
|---|---|
| Past | looked back |
| Present perfect | have looked back |
| -ing form | looking back |
Common mistakes with look back
What learners often say, and what to say instead.
Wrong: I look back to my childhood.
Right: I look back on my childhood.
Use on or at after look back, not to.
Wrong: Look at back the notes.
Right: Look back at the notes.
Look comes first, then back, then at.
Wrong: Looking back, I am happy.
Right: Looking back, I was happy.
Use the past tense for the time you are remembering.
Synonyms and opposites of look back
Words close to it, and words that mean the opposite.
Similar
- rememberbring a past event to mind
- reflect onthink carefully about something, often with a lesson in mind
- go backreturn to a place or a time
Look back quiz
Three quick questions. Pick an answer to see if it is right and why.
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1Years later, she ___ on that summer as the best of her life.
Look back on means think about the past.
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2Choose the right sentence.
Say look back at or on, with the past after it.
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3“Looking back, I made a mistake.” What does it mean?
It starts a thought about the past.
More phrasal verbs with look
All phrasal verbs with look, by level, with an exercise
13 phrasal verbs start with look. Test yourself on all of them in a few minutes.
- look forA1try to find someone or something
- look afterA2take care of someone or something and keep them safe and well
- look upA2find information in a dictionary, a book or online
- look forward toB1feel happy about something that is going to happen
- look outB1be careful, because something bad may happen
- look atA1turn your eyes towards someone or something
- look aroundB1walk around a place and look at the things in it
- look intoB2examine the facts about a problem to find out the cause
- look down onB2think that you are better than someone
- look up toB2admire and respect someone
- look overC2check something quickly, to see if it is right
- look throughB2read or check something quickly, page by page
Look back FAQ
Questions people ask about look back.
What does look back mean?
It means think about the past, or turn your head to see behind you. Looking back, the trip was great.
Is it look back on or look back at?
Both work for memories. Look back on a period of time (my school years) and look back at an event or a thing (that day, the photo).
What does “don’t look back” mean?
It means do not keep thinking about the past or feel sorry for your choice. Just move forward.
Use look back in real conversations
In Slova you learn new words with picture cards, then use them when you talk about the things you love. A few minutes a day, at your level.