cast back

IPA/kˈast bˈak/
IPA/kˈæst bˈæk/

cast back — phrasal verb

  • casts back3rd person singular
  • casting back-ing form
  • cast backpast simple

1. to slow down the movement or progress of something, or to pull it backward in a

1.片語動詞及物C1
釋義

to slow down the movement or progress of something, or to pull it backward in a way that stops it from moving forward

例句

The muddy current cast the small canoe back toward the shore.

physical: cast + object + back (movement)

New safety rules cast back the factory's expansion plans by almost a year.

figurative: delays progress

同義詞
  • hold back

    more general; can refer to any kind of delay or restraint

  • impede

    more formal; suggests blocking progress deliberately

  • slow down

    more common and less forceful; implies a reduction in speed rather than a full stop

反義詞
  • advance

    to move forward without obstruction

  • speed up

    to increase the rate of progress

文法句型

cast + object + back

be cast back by + noun phrase

用法筆記

Frequently passive. The object can appear either between the verb and the particle ('cast the boat back') or after the particle if it is short ('cast back the boat').

常見錯誤

❌The rain cast back me from going out.
✅The rain cast me back from going out.
💡with a pronoun object, it must go between 'cast' and 'back'.

2. to think again about something that happened in the past, or to refer to an earl

2.片語動詞不及物B2
釋義

to think again about something that happened in the past, or to refer to an earlier point in time or in a written record

例句

Eshe cast her mind back to the morning of the earthquake to recall every detail.

reflexive: cast one's mind back to

The documentary cast back to the early 1990s, showing how the internet spread across Asia.

intransitive: cast back to [time period]

同義詞
  • look back

    more casual and widely used; the standard everyday alternative

  • recall

    focuses on the act of remembering rather than the direction of thought

  • revisit

    suggests a more deliberate, thorough return to a past subject

反義詞
  • look ahead

    to think about the future instead of the past

  • forget

    to no longer have a memory of something

文法句型

cast back + to + noun phrase (time period)

cast + one's mind + back + to + noun phrase

用法筆記

The phrase 'cast one's mind back' is the most common pattern in everyday English. It is almost always followed by 'to' + a specific time, event, or place. The shorter form 'cast back to' is more common in formal writing and historical analysis.

常見錯誤

❌I cast back to my childhood memories yesterday.
✅I cast my mind back to my childhood memories yesterday.
💡add 'my mind' for natural everyday use; bare 'cast back to' sounds literary.
❌She cast back about her school days.
✅She cast back to her school days.
💡use 'to', not 'about'.