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 and in one's rearview mirror

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

Now a bit older, wiser and more organized, the same lowrider owners who in the 1980s and ’90s kept one eye on their rearview mirrors on the lookout for cops helped push through legislation that acknowledges their art. —Salvador Hernandez, Los Angeles Times, 14 Nov. 2023

With the off-year elections in the rearview mirror, the two major political parties increasingly appear locked in for the 2024 presidential contest, with the economy taking a starring role in voters’ minds. —Irina Ivanova, Fortune, 14 Nov. 2023

But as more and more women compete at the highest levels, these experiences may soon be in the rearview mirror. —Melissah Yang, refinery29.com, 7 Nov. 2023

Detectives identified a white Saturn Vue with a large placard hanging from the rearview mirror as the suspect’s vehicle, using surveillance footage. —Isabella Volmert, Dallas News, 22 Aug. 2023

Yet, the group’s popularity hasn’t diminished, even as its best material continues to drift further and further away in the rearview mirror. 10. —Jim Harrington, SPIN, 8 Nov. 2023

The first Fed hike (March 2022) was 19 months ago, while the most recent (July 2023) is just three months in the rearview mirror. —Lance Lambert, Fortune, 2 Nov. 2023

With your job in the rearview mirror, and the open highway ahead, how about a road trip? —Patricia Doherty, Travel + Leisure, 12 Oct. 2023

Love it or leave it, Prime Big Deal Days is now in the rearview mirror. —Brandon Widder, The Verge, 12 Oct. 2023

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Word History

First Known Use

1911, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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