throwback

1 of 2

noun

throw·​back ˈthrō-ˌbak 

1

: one that is suggestive of or suited to an earlier time or style

his manners were a throwback to a more polite era

2

a

: reversion to an earlier type or phase : atavism

b

: an instance or product of atavistic reversion

throw back

2 of 2

verb

threw back; thrown back; throwing back; throws back

transitive verb

1

: to delay the progress or advance of : check

2

: to cause to rely : make dependent

they are thrown back upon … native intelligence

—Michael Novak

3

: reflect

intransitive verb

: to revert to an earlier type or phase

Examples of throwback in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The second photo is a throwback of when Ricki was a preteen. —Kimberlee Speakman, Peoplemag, 29 June 2024

Pogacar is the child prodigy who is a throwback to a bygone era of cycling before the modern era of race specialization, when the best cyclists could win cobblestone classics, three-week Grand Tours, sprints, and every type of race in between. —Frederick Dreier, Outside Online, 28 June 2024

Verb

And then the ballerina’s twirl, his cap flying off, and the throw back to the infield. —Kevin B. Blackistone, Washington Post, 22 June 2024

With two outs already recorded, Bailey fired through to second base to attempt to end the inning but bounced the ball to shortstop Brett Wisely, whose throw back home was off-line and too late to nab Garcia, who was credited with a steal of home. —Evan Webeck, The Mercury News, 9 June 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1883, in the meaning defined at sense 2b

Verb

1656, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 2

Kids Definition

throwback

noun

throw·​back ˈthrō-ˌbak 

: something that has changed back to an earlier type or phase

Medical Definition

throwback

noun

throw·​back ˈthrō-ˌbak 

1

: reversion to an earlier type or phase : atavism

2

: an instance or product of atavistic reversion