flash·back
ˈflash-ˌbak 
1
: a recession of flame to an unwanted position (as into a blowpipe)
2
a
: 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
flashed back; flashing back; flashes back
1
: to focus one's mind on or vividly remember a past time or incident
—usually used with to
flashed 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.
Verb
the scent made me flash back to the days of my mother's home-cooked Sunday dinners
Recent Examples on the Web
Carson Blackwelder, PEOPLE, 7 Sep. 2025
And there are flashbacks to her father’s days as a lumberjack and her mother’s special powers.
—Mary Ann Grossmann, Twin Cities, 7 Sep. 2025
Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 30 Aug. 2025
The protagonist flashes back to a teenage relationship full of rebellion, joy and excitement, lived out with the newfound freedom that comes from a car and a first driver’s license.
—Tom Roland, Billboard, 28 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for flashback
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Noun
In the episode, Mikey has a heart-to-heart conversation with Liza Colón-Zayas' Tina in a flashback.
—Carson Blackwelder, PEOPLE, 7 Sep. 2025
And there are flashbacks to her father’s days as a lumberjack and her mother’s special powers.
—Mary Ann Grossmann, Twin Cities, 7 Sep. 2025
Verb
The film opens in the desolate Arctic, where Victor has chased his creation, and flashes back as Frankenstein relates his life’s story to a Danish sea captain whose ship is stuck in the ice.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 30 Aug. 2025
The protagonist flashes back to a teenage relationship full of rebellion, joy and excitement, lived out with the newfound freedom that comes from a car and a first driver’s license.
—Tom Roland, Billboard, 28 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for flashback
Cite this Entry
“Flashback.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flashback. Accessed 8 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
flashback
noun
flash·back
ˈflash-ˌbak
1
: the introduction of a past event into a story or motion picture
also
: this past event
2
: a past incident recurring clearly in the mind
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