rearview mirror

noun

rear·​view mirror ˈrir-ˌvyü- 

variants or rearview

plural rearview mirrors or rearviews

1

: a mirror (as in an automobile) that gives the driver a view of the area behind a vehicle

The air fresheners that dangle from rearview mirrors have been a ubiquitous accessory in cars for decades.

—Mike Baker and Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs

Another car's headlights appeared in her rearview—the first she'd seen since … turning onto Route 60.

—Erin Brockovich and C. J. Lyons

2

: past entry 3

—used in phrases like in the rearview mirror and in one's rearview mirror

With the midterm elections barely in the rearview mirror, the competition is heating up among states trying to move up in the presidential primary lineup.

—Alex Seitz-Wald and Natasha Korecki

Siakam was coming off shoulder surgery as well. … But Siakam put all that in his rearview mirror and never looked back, finishing with career highs in rebounds and assists …

—Mike Ganter

After Zayn Malik abruptly departed from One Direction in 2015, he largely left the band in his rearview.

—Larisha Paul

… [rappers] Killer Mike and El-P, both of whom had left rap's zeitgeist in their rearviews long ago …

—Tom Breihan

Examples of rearview mirror in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

With the culture wars of recent years barely in the rearview mirror, Trump's detractors are now leaning on precedence to argue their points. —Ryan Smith, Newsweek, 16 Dec. 2024

While 2018 may be distant in our rearview mirrors, regulatory scrutiny worldwide—driven by the European Union's AI Act and the U.S. Executive Order on AI, among other initiatives—will increasingly push enterprises to implement full-scale governance and responsible AI. —David Gucker, Forbes, 27 Nov. 2024

With the 2024 election and U.N. climate conference firmly in the rearview mirror, climate policy discussions have hit a feverpitch in the U.S. capital as companies, advocates, and officials try to figure out the new rules of the road. —Justin Worland, TIME, 6 Dec. 2024

With the presidential election in the rearview mirror, the wait-and-see approach has turned into a better-buy-now attitude, bringing a surge in new vehicle sales that will continue into 2025, according to industry insiders. —Elissa Robinson, Detroit Free Press, 6 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1911, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

rearview mirror

noun

rear·​view mirror ˌri(ə)r-ˌvyü- 

: a mirror (as in a car) that gives a view to the rear