flashback

flash·back | \ ˈflash-ˌbak

How to pronounce flashback (audio)

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Definition of flashback

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : a recession of flame to an unwanted position (as into a blowpipe)

2a : interruption of chronological sequence (as in a film or literary work) by interjection of events of earlier occurrence also : an instance of flashback

b : a past incident recurring vividly in the mind

flash back

flashed back; flashing back; flashes back

Definition of flash back (Entry 2 of 2)

intransitive verb

1 : to focus one's mind on or vividly remember a past time or incident —usually used with toflashed back to my childhood

2 : to employ a flashback (as in a film) —usually used with to

Examples of flashback in a Sentence

Noun The character's childhood was described in a series of flashbacks. He's having flashbacks of his days in the war.

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun But yes, there’s absolutely a Wong Kar-wai influence in those flashback scenes in Taiwan, right down to the wardrobe. — Brian X. Chen, New York Times, "With ‘Tigertail,’ a Filmmaker Hopes to Comfort Asian-Americans," 10 Apr. 2020 El Camino gave fans closure for Jesse, brought back deceased characters Walter, Mike, exterminator-burglar Todd Alquist (Jesse Plemons), and Jesse’s girlfriend Jane Margolis (Krysten Ritter) in flashbacks, and stands at 91% on Rotten Tomatoes. — Morgan Enos, Fortune, "‘Breaking Bad’ ended six years ago—but ‘Better Call Saul’ and merchandise keep gaining steam," 21 Feb. 2020 The finale goes back to the rebooted drama's beginning, opening with a mix of flashbacks and new footage detailing the mission that resulted in the murder of McGarrett's father, John, in the series premiere. — Bill Keveney, USA TODAY, "'Hawaii Five-0' finale recap: 'Aloha' to McGarrett and Danno, with nods to the past," 4 Apr. 2020 Seeing Becton, a 364-pound offensive tackle, move with such speed gave him flashbacks of Becton playing basketball at Highland Springs High School in Highland Springs, Virginia. — Cameron Teague Robinson, The Courier-Journal, "Mekhi Becton went from a top-60 prospect to a top-10 lock in mock drafts. What changed?," 20 Mar. 2020 Love called Beilein a throwback, said Beilein reminded him of John Wooden and spoke openly about how Cleveland was starting to give him flashbacks to college. — Chris Fedor, cleveland, "How John Beilein’s coaching tenure with Cleveland Cavaliers crumbled so quickly: Chris Fedor," 19 Feb. 2020 Their most recent concert flashback was from 2009 in Copenhagen that was streamed on April 6. — Travel + Leisure, "Rock Out With Metallica Every Monday During Quarantine — and Try Some of Their Whiskey While You're At It," 13 Apr. 2020 Trauma reminders can lead to recurrence of intrusive memories, flashbacks and resurgence of nightmares. — Arash Javanbakht, The Conversation, "Veterans, refugees and victims of war crimes are all vulnerable to PTSD," 21 Jan. 2020 Episode 7 of The Mandalorian featured a flashback showing how Kuiil reprogrammed IG-11 to be a nurse rather than a murderer, and the sequence made the process sound an awful lot like raising a child. — Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, "The Mandalorian Knows Why Heroes Wear Masks," 30 Dec. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'flashback.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

28 May 2020

Cite this Entry

“Flashback.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flashback. Accessed 3 Jun. 2020.

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