flashback

1 of 2

noun

flash·​back ˈflash-ˌbak 

1

: a recession of flame to an unwanted position (as into a blowpipe)

2

a

: interruption of chronological sequence (as in a film or literary work) by interjection of events of earlier occurrence

also : an instance of flashback

b

: a past incident recurring vividly in the mind

flash back

2 of 2

verb

flashed back; flashing back; flashes back

intransitive verb

1

: to focus one's mind on or vividly remember a past time or incident

—usually used with to

flashed back to my childhood

2

: to employ a flashback (as in a film)

—usually used with to

Synonyms

Verb

• hark back (to)
• harken back (to)
• hearken back (to)
• mind [chiefly dialect]
• recall
• recollect
• remember
• reminisce (about)
• reproduce
• think (of)

Examples of flashback in a Sentence

Noun

The character's childhood was described in a series of flashbacks.

He's having flashbacks of his days in the war.

Verb

the scent made me flash back to the days of my mother's home-cooked Sunday dinners

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

During a prolonged flashback, Agatha is painted as a serial killer in a relationship with Death (Aubrey Plaza), who uses her magic-leeching abilities to kill an extraordinary number of women over the centuries. —Dani Di Placido, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2024

Among the best horror-adjacent offerings are Peacock’s satanic panic flashback Hysteria! and an unconventional serial-killer story, Sweetpea, from Starz. —Judy Berman, TIME, 30 Oct. 2024

Verb

Late Night With the Devil (2023) The most recent film on this list flashes back to the same era of media sensationalism savaged by the earliest. —A.a. Dowd, Vulture, 30 July 2024

One episode flashes back to how Eli and Lynn met, with digital effects briefly turning Crystal and Light back into their Nineties selves. —Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 24 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1903, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1944, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

flashback

noun

flash·​back ˈflash-ˌbak 

1

: the introduction of a past event into a story or motion picture

also : this past event

2

: a past incident recurring clearly in the mind