think back

Idioms

Recall or reflect on, as in When I think back on my days as a summer camper, I really had a good time, or As he thought back to his father, long dead, tears came to his eyes. [Mid-1900s]

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

When I think back on most of those meals, I remember not salvation but a certain chill.

From Salon • Mar. 23, 2026

“All I can do is think back and curse myself for not taking the warning signs seriously.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 22, 2026

It’s funny because I think back on the situation and I guess I thought it was gonna pop off from there.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 30, 2026

"When I think back to Christmas, I think back to their living room, and I think back to their decorations."

From BBC • Dec. 20, 2025

When he thought back, that was what popped up, so he did not think back, nor talk about the past.

From "Z for Zachariah" by Robert C. O’Brien

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023