hark back

verb

harked back; harking back; harks back

intransitive verb

1

: to turn back to an earlier topic or circumstance

2

: to go back to something as an origin or source

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Hark Back Got Its Start in Hunting

Hark, a very old word meaning "to listen," was used as a cry in hunting. The master of the hunt might cry "Hark! Forward!" or "Hark! Back!" The cries became set phrases, both as nouns and verbs. Thus, a "hark back" was a retracing of a route by dogs and hunters, and to "hark back" was to turn back along the path. From its use in hunting, the verb soon acquired its current figurative meanings. The variants hearken and harken (also very old words meaning “to listen”) are also used, with and without back, as synonyms of hark back.

Synonyms

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

Examples of hark back in a Sentence

the new stadium, designed for nostalgic appeal, harks back to the intimate ballparks of yore

Recent Examples on the Web

Learning principles Amazon’s culture is very closely linked to its leadership principles, many of which hark back to the days when billionaire entrepreneur Bezos was at the helm. —Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 18 Oct. 2024

Hanging over their vigil is the question of whether Joan will return after a 20-year absence that harks back to Luther’s visit. —Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 10 Oct. 2024

But though people are likely harking back to the pandemic shutdown days, the strike at ports won’t have any impact on the supply of these products. —Ramishah Maruf, CNN, 3 Oct. 2024

But before that, the Disney Channel was bumbling along since its launch in 1983, mostly broadcasting kids cartoons that harked back to the company’s animation renaissance in the early 1990s. —Scarlett Harris, Los Angeles Times, 24 Sep. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1824, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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Kids Definition

hark back

verb

: to recall or cause to recall something earlier

hark back to the good old days