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

That was a bad memory, an old film that should never be rewound. — Douglas Stuart, New Yorker, 12 Apr. 2026

But as the crisis hurtles towards breaking point, the story rewinds, with viewers pulled inside the bank to relive the same events through the eyes of the robbers and their hostages. — Alex Ritman, Variety, 7 Apr. 2026

Noun

For one, there is no overnight re-broadcast, and for another, there is no rewind option. — Chris Willman, Variety, 24 Apr. 2026

But rewind just a little, and the story almost had a very different ending. — Hanna Wickes, Sacbee.com, 13 Apr. 2026

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