date back
idiom
: 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
Cases began in 1999, span four counties Court records show that Speer’s DWI cases date back to 1999, when he was found guilty in Nodaway County Circuit Court of driving while intoxicated.
—
Judy L. Thomas, Kansas City Star, 17 Dec. 2025
The study authors believe that fossils housing the bee nests date back to around 20,000 years ago and could shed light on how bees have adapted to their environment, even in the ancient past.
—Taylor Nicioli, CNN Money, 17 Dec. 2025
The weapons date back to the time of Mieszko I and Bolesław the Brave, two legendary figures in the formation of medieval Poland.
—Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 17 Dec. 2025
The Thai-Cambodia border dispute stems from competing territorial claims that date back to colonial times, and are centered around the Preah Vihear Temple—an 11th-century Khmer temple complex within Cambodia’s Dângrêk Mountains.
—Angelica Ang, Fortune, 16 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for date back
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.
Judy L. Thomas, Kansas City Star, 17 Dec. 2025
The study authors believe that fossils housing the bee nests date back to around 20,000 years ago and could shed light on how bees have adapted to their environment, even in the ancient past.
—Taylor Nicioli, CNN Money, 17 Dec. 2025
The weapons date back to the time of Mieszko I and Bolesław the Brave, two legendary figures in the formation of medieval Poland.
—Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 17 Dec. 2025
The Thai-Cambodia border dispute stems from competing territorial claims that date back to colonial times, and are centered around the Preah Vihear Temple—an 11th-century Khmer temple complex within Cambodia’s Dângrêk Mountains.
—Angelica Ang, Fortune, 16 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for date back
Cite this Entry
“Date back.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/date%20back. Accessed 21 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share