extend back

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase 'extend back' is correct and can be used in written English.
You can use it when referring to a period of time extending in the past. For example: My family has roots that extend back to the 1600s.

✓ Grammatically correct

Academia

News & Media

Science

Encyclopedias

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

These records extend back to 1851.

The Washington Post

The dispute's roots extend back three years.

The New York Times

Connections between the two extend back more than three decades.

The New York Times - Arts

The farm lobby's efforts extend back at least a decade.

The New York Times

The roots of Iroquois agriculture actually extend back before corn, beans, and squash.

Cornell University

OZÉ's roots extend back to 2012 when McCormick was a Peace Corps volunteer in Guinea.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

The PingER data and results extend back to the start of 1995.

Stanford University

To some extent the roots of such thinking extend back at least to Darwin.

The New York Times

The cities of Samarkand, Bukhara, and Tashkent have histories that extend back to ancient times.

Encyclopedia Britannica

The turnabout is stark in Georgia, whose cultural ties to Russia extend back centuries.

The New York Times

Identifiable eclipses that were recorded under named Roman consuls extend back to 217 bce.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "extend back" to clearly indicate that something's history, influence, or scope reaches into the past. For instance, "The tradition extends back centuries" emphasizes the long history.

Common error

Avoid using "extend back" when a simpler phrase like "dates back to" or "began in" would be more concise and direct. For example, instead of saying "The practice extends back to 1990", consider using "The practice dates back to 1990."

Linguistic Context

The phrase "extend back" functions as a verb phrase, typically used to describe the temporal reach or origin of something. It specifies how far into the past something's history, influence, or existence spans. As Ludwig AI confirms, it's grammatically correct and widely used.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

24%

Academia

21%

Science

21%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

13%

Wiki

5%

Formal & Business

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "extend back" is a versatile verb phrase used to indicate the temporal reach or origin of something. Grammatically sound and widely accepted, it appears across various contexts, as confirmed by Ludwig AI. It's particularly common in news, academic, and scientific writing to provide historical context. While effective, consider simpler alternatives like "date back to" or "originate from" for conciseness. The phrase's frequency is classified as 'very common' based on the analyzed data. Prominent sources employing the phrase include The New York Times, The Washington Post, and Encyclopedia Britannica, further attesting to its reliability and broad applicability.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

go back to

A more general way of indicating a starting point in the past.

date back

Focuses on the time of origin or establishment.

trace back to

Suggests a process of investigation or discovery to find the origin.

have a history of

Highlights continuous existence or occurrence since a certain time.

reach into the past

Emphasizes the act of reaching or influencing from the present into the past.

have origins in

Highlights the existence of roots or beginnings in a specific time or place.

originate from

Highlights the source or beginning point.

are rooted in

Emphasizes the deep connection or foundation in a past event or period.

stem from

Implies a causal relationship, where something originates as a consequence of something else in the past.

can be attributed to

Suggests that something's origin is credited to a particular source or time.

FAQs

How can I use "extend back" in a sentence?

Use "extend back" to indicate the duration or origin of something in the past. For example, "The company's history "dates back" to the 19th century" or "The influence of this philosophy "reaches into the past"."

What are some alternatives to using "extend back"?

Depending on the context, you can use phrases like "date back", "originate from", "go back to", or "stem from".

Is it correct to say "extends back" instead of "extend back"?

Yes, both are correct. "Extend back" is used with plural subjects or "I/you/we/they", while "extends back" is used with singular subjects or "he/she/it". For example, "The roots extend back centuries" versus "The root extends back centuries".

What's the difference between "extend back" and "trace back to"?

"Extend back" generally indicates the duration or history of something, while "trace back to" often implies a process of investigation or discovery to find the origin. "The tradition extends back centuries", but "We can trace the tradition back to ancient rituals".