rewind

1 of 2

verb

re·​wind (ˌ)rē-ˈwīnd 

rewound (ˌ)rē-ˈwau̇nd  ; rewinding

transitive verb

: to wind again

especially : to reverse the winding of

rewind film

rewind

2 of 2

noun

re·​wind ˈrē-ˌwīnd 

(ˌ)rē-ˈwīnd

1

: something that rewinds or is rewound

2

: an act of rewinding

3

: a function of an electronic device that reverses a recording to a previous portion

Examples of rewind in a Sentence

Verb

Rewind the tape so that we can hear that song again.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Just as policymakers in the 1940s sought to establish lasting peace out of the disorder of war, today’s leaders must design institutions, alliances, and strategies to secure peace rather than sit and watch as Trump rewinds the clock. —Oona A. Hathaway, Foreign Affairs, 24 June 2025

Sovereignty didn’t run in the Preakness and time does not rewind itself. —Danny Brewer, Forbes.com, 11 June 2025

Noun

As for the other goodies in this collection, each game has a handy rewind function, as well as cheats and all manner of screen filters. —Ollie Barder, Forbes.com, 21 June 2025

And the change from reckoning to rewind seems to have happened overnight. —Leonard Greene, New York Daily News, 25 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Verb

1717, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1926, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

rewind

1 of 2 verb

re·​wind rē-ˈwīnd 

rewound -ˈwau̇nd  ; rewinding

: to wind again

especially : to reverse the winding of (as a video tape)

rewind

2 of 2 noun

re·​wind ˈrē-ˌwīnd 

: a function of an electronic device that reverses a recording to a previous portion