hearken back

verb

variants or harken back
hearkened back or harkened back; hearkening back or harkening back; hearkens back or harkens back

intransitive verb

: 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
Greenberg worked very closely with the laboratory which harkened back to his earliest days in the film business …Ron Magid

Examples of hearken back in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Alternatively, some subtler designs do hearken back to the days at the makeup counter, coming in a range of shades that provide a better match for your skin tone. Stacey Colino, TIME, 25 Feb. 2025 The image hearkens back to photos of U.S. sprinters Tommie Smith and John Carlos doing the Black Power salute on the medalist podium at the 1968 Olympics to protest racial injustice. Emily Olsen, The Athletic, 18 Feb. 2025 My kingdom for a dozen eggs The long lines at the local grocery or warehouse store hearken back to the early days of iPhone releases. Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 16 Feb. 2025 An American Airlines flight that collided with a U.S. Army helicopter resulting in one of the most devastating airline disasters in decades hearkened back to two tragedies. Ryan Gaydos, Fox News, 31 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for hearken back

Word History

First Known Use

1900, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of hearken back was in 1900

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Cite this Entry

“Hearken back.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hearken%20back. Accessed 9 Mar. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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