date back

present singular third person dates back · participle present dating back · participle past dated back · past dated back

1. To have begun at a particular time; for there to be records of something extending to a time in history.

   This tradition dates back 1000 years.

   4 more examples

   The fossils date back to the Precambrian eon.

   After renovation at Preston Park works, they will replace the 52 wooden-bodied cars still working south of the Thames, one of which dates back as far as 1906; some 20 of the latter will be converted to camping coaches.

   1960 November, G. Freeman Allen, “New Pullman Cars for the East Coast Route”, in Trains Illustrated, page 666

   For countries with rich culinary traditions that date back to the Aztecs and Incas, Mexico and Peru have developed quite a taste for modern food fashions.

   2013 July 27, “Battle of the bulge”, in The Economist, volume 408, number 8846

   Essentially, the problem dates back to pre-privatisation, cost-driven British Rail practices which featured an unholy pact between management and unions, whereby management was able to employ fewer drivers and limited pension cost liabilities, while drivers were able to hoover up lots of lucrative Sunday overtime.

   2022 November 16, Nigel Harris, “Endless news... little context”, in RAIL, number 970, page 3