throwback

1 of 2

noun

throw·​back ˈthrō-ˌbak How to pronounce throwback (audio)
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 intelligenceMichael Novak
3

intransitive verb

: to revert to an earlier type or phase

Examples of throwback in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
In today’s pixel-eat-pixel world where VFX and CGI rule the roost, these fearless performers may seem like an anomaly — a throwback to an analog era where actual humans [gasp] had to provide the thrills and spills that are a key part of cinema’s DNA. David Fear, Rolling Stone, 13 Mar. 2024 The collection rolled to a studio shot with her daughters, her with Princess Diana at the Epsom Downs Racecourse in 1987 and a throwback from her own childhood with sister Jane and late mother Susan, who died in 1998. Janine Henni, Peoplemag, 8 Mar. 2024 The big anniversary could mean more than just throwbacks for the Spice Girls though. Lauren Huff, EW.com, 4 Mar. 2024 Indy's 2024 concert lineup:Massive country stadium shows and early '00s throwbacks Northside and Hamilton County Camps Arts for Lawrence, Summer Art Camp Arts for Lawrence runs four weeks of day camps for kids ages 6-12. Caroline Beck, The Indianapolis Star, 1 Mar. 2024 Go through your closet and pull out your favorite early 2000s club outfits to wear at next week’s throwback to The Forum nightclub. Melissa Oyler, Charlotte Observer, 1 Mar. 2024 Selena Gomez must be hard at work on the Wizards of Waverly Place reboot because her boyfriend, Benny Blanco, just shared a cheeky throwback to her character on the show. Hanna Lustig, Glamour, 7 Feb. 2024 And yet, there was an even more nostalgic throwback to those Posh Spice days, when Nicola Peltz was photographed in a spring 2001 Dolce & Gabbana biker jacket first belonging to Victoria Beckham. Daniel Rodgers, Vogue, 28 Feb. 2024 Zion has a lot of love for his mom, and posted a sweet throwback in November 2022. Blake Bakkila, Peoplemag, 24 Feb. 2024
Verb
In David Leitch's action comedy, Colt Seavers (Gosling) is a retired stuntman thrown back into the fray to help his filmmaker ex-girlfriend (Emily Blunt) finish her big-budget movie when the main star goes missing. Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 12 Jan. 2024 Anything caught up in the net that wasn’t the target food species—known as bycatch—gets hauled aboard the ship, often dead, and thrown back overboard. Matt Simon, WIRED, 18 Jan. 2024 McCarthy snapped the ball, pitched it to running back Donovan Edwards, who then threw back across the field and over McCarthy’s head. AndrÉs Soto, Los Angeles Times, 2 Jan. 2024 Chapman’s version had of course been thrown back into the mainstream after Combs released his cover of the song last April. Ethan Millman, Rolling Stone, 12 Feb. 2024 Jacobs-Jenkins laughed, then—taking advantage of the echoey acoustics—threw back his head and screamed. Julian Lucas, The New Yorker, 8 Jan. 2024 Immediately, we're thrown back into the finale of season two, where Sabi discovers that their father has suddenly passed away from a heart attack. Alexandra Koster, refinery29.com, 23 Nov. 2023 Mix up Your Evening with Mixology Most folks picture people throwing back pints après ski (or après kayak), but the region is experiencing a craft cocktail boom that raises the bar on beverages. By sunset, Sunset Magazine, 15 Sep. 2023 People fish with nets and rods, throwing back the small fish. Fabiano Maisonnave, Teresa De Miguel, and André Penner, The Christian Science Monitor, 4 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'throwback.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1883, in the meaning defined at sense 2b

Verb

1656, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of throwback was in 1656

Dictionary Entries Near throwback

Cite this Entry

“Throwback.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/throwback. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

throwback

noun
throw·​back ˈthrō-ˌbak How to pronounce throwback (audio)
: something that has changed back to an earlier type or phase

Medical Definition

throwback

noun
throw·​back ˈthrō-ˌbak How to pronounce throwback (audio)
1
: reversion to an earlier type or phase : atavism
2
: an instance or product of atavistic reversion

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