look back on the past

/lʊk bæk ɒn ðə pɑːst/

verb phrase

  1. to think about or remember events and experiences from earlier in your life, often with emotion such as happiness or regret

    B1

    look back on + noun phrase; [+ on]; often followed by 'with + emotion' or a clauseneutral

    • "She likes to look back on the past and remember her childhood."B1
    • "When I look back on the past, I realize how much I have learned."B1
    • "Looking back on the past with nostalgia can sometimes make it harder to face the present."C1

Common mistakes

  • look back the past→look back on the past

    The verb phrase needs the preposition 'on' before the thing you remember.

Collocations

look back fondlylook back with regretlook back on childhoodlook back on your life