date back

phrase

: to have come into being (a number of years ago)
a custom that dates back 400 years

Examples of date back in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Govan and Pardo’s collaborations date back to the director’s days running New York’s Dia Art Foundation. — George Baker, Artforum, 1 Sep. 2026 In western Isfjorden, some of the oldest rocks date back around 400 million years. — Sarah Kingdom, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026 Abbott said that his conversations with the Secretary of Homeland Security date back several months. — Jack Fink, CBS News, 23 Aug. 2026 The annual drills with South Korean forces date back to at least 1976 and are largely to counter North Korea's nuclear program. — Brittney Melton, NPR, 18 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for date back

Rhymes for date back

See All Rhymes for date back

Browse Nearby Words

date
date back
date back to
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Date back.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/date%20back. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of apiary

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
anagrams on a chalk board
Word Builder Quiz Vol. 2 Pick the letter that when added to a word will ma...
See All