hark back
verb
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Hark Back Got Its Start in Hunting
Hark, a very old word meaning "to listen," was used as a cry in hunting. The master of the hunt might cry "Hark! Forward!" or "Hark! Back!" The cries became set phrases, both as nouns and verbs. Thus, a "hark back" was a retracing of a route by dogs and hunters, and to "hark back" was to turn back along the path. From its use in hunting, the verb soon acquired its current figurative meanings. The variants hearken and harken (also very old words meaning “to listen”) are also used, with and without back, as synonyms of hark back.
Examples of hark back in a Sentence
Mark Sparrow, Forbes.com, 29 July 2025
Two completely forgettable and ultimately quite meaningless June internationals should not have anyone harking back to the golden days of yore under Southgate when, well, exactly the same thing used to happen.
—Tim Spiers, New York Times, 13 June 2025
For one thing, Russian leader Vladimir Putin is currently providing North Korea with everything that Kim could have wanted and more—food, fuel, hard currency, military technology, and a June 2024 defense treaty and security guarantee that harks back to Cold War days.
—Victor Cha, Foreign Affairs, 29 May 2025
The core promo design and bottle hark back to this, featuring Haring’s vibrant red lines and a crowd of dancing figures, set against a yellow backdrop.
—Kevin Rozario, Forbes.com, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for hark back
Cite this Entry
“Hark back.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hark%20back. Accessed 5 Aug. 2025.
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