Backtrail

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To follow the same route in reverse, going back over a trail or path previously traveled
2. Moving backward along a path already taken, retracing steps to return to the starting point
3. Traveling in the opposite direction along a known route to revisit or find the way back

Etymology: "Backtrail" is a plain compound: "back," meaning "to the rear" or "in return," joined to "trail," a path or track left by something that has passed. Put together, the word describes following a trail in reverse, retracing your own steps along the route you already took. The "back" half carries the sense of return. The "trail" half comes from the Old French "trailler," meaning to tramp or hunt, and it originally meant the track a hunter or animal left on the ground. Once you see the parts, the verb's meaning is almost built into them: a walker who wants to get home without getting lost follows the same marks they made on the way out, only in the opposite direction.

Synonyms: retrace, return, track back