rearview mirror

noun

rear·​view mirror ˈrir-ˌvyü- 

variants or rearview

plural rearview mirrors or rearviews

1

: a mirror (as in an automobile) that gives the driver a view of the area behind a vehicle

The air fresheners that dangle from rearview mirrors have been a ubiquitous accessory in cars for decades.

—Mike Baker and Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs

Another car's headlights appeared in her rearview—the first she'd seen since … turning onto Route 60.

—Erin Brockovich and C. J. Lyons

2

: past entry 3

—used in phrases like in the rearview mirror, in one's rearview mirror and in one's rearview

With the midterm elections barely in the rearview mirror, the competition is heating up among states trying to move up in the presidential primary lineup.

—Alex Seitz-Wald and Natasha Korecki

Siakam was coming off shoulder surgery as well. … But Siakam put all that in his rearview mirror and never looked back, finishing with career highs in rebounds and assists …

—Mike Ganter

After Zayn Malik abruptly departed from One Direction in 2015, he largely left the band in his rearview.

—Larisha Paul

… [rappers] Killer Mike and El-P, both of whom had left rap's zeitgeist in their rearviews long ago …

—Tom Breihan

Examples of rearview mirror in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The North Bay absorbed the heaviest rainfall of the past several days, but that will be firmly in the rearview mirror. —Greg Porter, San Francisco Chronicle, 2 Apr. 2026

However, the fallout from this event is likely not in the rearview mirror yet due to more than 500 TSA officers quitting during the shutdown, according to DHS. —Brittney Melton, NPR, 31 Mar. 2026

The Ducks returned from Canada with four of six points in their back pocket, albeit with a four-point loss in their rearview mirror, and mounted up to take on yet another team from where the pines and maples grow on Monday. —Andrew Knoll, Oc Register, 29 Mar. 2026

My dad glanced behind us once to see if we were being followed, winked at me in the rearview mirror, and then swung our car toward Interstate 80, headed west. —Zayd Ayers Dohrn, New Yorker, 28 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1911, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for rearview mirror

• clearer
• dearer
• hearer
• nearer
• shearer

Kids Definition

rearview mirror

noun

rear·​view mirror ˌri(ə)r-ˌvyü- 

: a mirror (as in a car) that gives a view to the rear