From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishretracere‧trace /rɪˈtreɪs, riː-/ verb [transitive] 1 → retrace your steps/path/route etc2 AGAINto repeat exactly the same journey that someone else has made We shall be retracing the route taken by Marco Polo.3 FIND OUTto find out where someone went an investigation to retrace the dead man’s last known movements→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
retrace• As he retraced his steps of the past day avoiding streets and roads, he stayed alert to the sounds around him.• At the bottom end he could go no further, and so retraced his steps.• In the soft evening light, I retraced my steps back to town, soothed by the songs of blackbirds and chaffinches.• They moved on quickly, for they would have to retrace part of their way to make Ivrigar before nightfall.• Shiona gathered up her pyjamas and headed for the bathroom, her mind retracing the events of the night.• I parked at Ala Wai School, retracing the path from the playground through the park toward the canal.• Riders can retrace the trail taken by Chief Big Foot to the battle site.• For weeks he lay flat in his canoe while friends retraced their way back with him to Lake Michigan. 