hearken back
verb
variants
or harken back
hearkened back or harkened back; hearkening back or harkening back; hearkens back or harkens back
: to go back to or recall to mind something in the past : hark back
—usually used with to
This place caters to Americans and hearkens back to days when the town attracted famous celebrities.—
Barbara Zaragoza
Barbara ZaragozaGreenberg worked very closely with the laboratory which harkened back to his earliest days in the film business …—Ron Magid
Ron MagidExamples of hearken back in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
For Jane Williams, executive director of the nonprofit California Communities Against Toxics, the copious amounts of ash and rubble hearken back to the aftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks on the World Trade Center.
—Tony Briscoe, Los Angeles Times, 30 Jan. 2025
Zoom out: Trump wants to showcase a new, aggressive foreign policy that hearkens back to the Monroe Doctrine and clearly establishes the Western Hemisphere as a China- and Russia-free zone.
—Marc Caputo, Axios, 28 Jan. 2025
The buildings hearken back to days when miners and loggers crowded the main street’s saloons.
—Cassidy Randall, Forbes, 7 Jan. 2025
The phrase is included on the state’s seal alongside a miner, hearkening back to Idaho’s history before statehood in 1890.
—Kevin Fixler, Idaho Statesman, 5 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for hearken back 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Tony Briscoe, Los Angeles Times, 30 Jan. 2025
Zoom out: Trump wants to showcase a new, aggressive foreign policy that hearkens back to the Monroe Doctrine and clearly establishes the Western Hemisphere as a China- and Russia-free zone.
—Marc Caputo, Axios, 28 Jan. 2025
The buildings hearken back to days when miners and loggers crowded the main street’s saloons.
—Cassidy Randall, Forbes, 7 Jan. 2025
The phrase is included on the state’s seal alongside a miner, hearkening back to Idaho’s history before statehood in 1890.
—Kevin Fixler, Idaho Statesman, 5 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for hearken back
Articles Related to hearken back
Dictionary Entries Near hearken back
Cite this Entry
“Hearken back.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hearken%20back. Accessed 22 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share