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

To show events from different points of view, time frequently rewinds, revealing intersecting moments in the characters’ lives. —Richard Brody, New Yorker, 8 Aug. 2025

Scroll down to check out clips of his performance, and rewind the livestream below to watch it in full. —Madison Bloom, Pitchfork, 13 Apr. 2025

Noun

Let’s rewind to last September, when the Fed brought in its first rate cut since 2020, after hiking rates during the 2022 inflation spike and holding them steady since. —Brett Owens, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2025

Defy his late dad's strict non-interference policy by flying around the world fast enough to reverse the Earth's spin, and rewind time to a point where Lois is still alive. —Richard Edwards, Space.com, 10 July 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