hearken back
verb
variants
or harken back
hearkened back or harkened back; hearkening back or harkening back; hearkens back or harkens back
: to go back to or recall to mind something in the past : hark back
—usually used with to
This place caters to Americans and hearkens back to days when the town attracted famous celebrities.—
Barbara Zaragoza
Barbara ZaragozaGreenberg worked very closely with the laboratory which harkened back to his earliest days in the film business …—Ron Magid
Ron MagidExamples of hearken back in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
After 130 years, the Louis Vuitton monogram still carries weight, hearkening back to an era of remarkable craftsmanship.
—Brandon Kaipo Moningka, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2026
Glover’s message hearkened back to the Apollo 8 crew in 1968, when crew members joined together on Christmas Eve to read from the Book of Genesis.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 7 Apr. 2026
The glory hole hearkens back to Episode 6, when Whitney brings Henry (Kit Harrington) to a gay night club and leads him to a glory hole.
—Chris O'Falt, IndieWire, 1 Mar. 2026
Regents or viceroys hearken back to royalty and empires, and that’s not the look Trump is going for here—at least for now.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 8 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hearken back
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Brandon Kaipo Moningka, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2026
Glover’s message hearkened back to the Apollo 8 crew in 1968, when crew members joined together on Christmas Eve to read from the Book of Genesis.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 7 Apr. 2026
The glory hole hearkens back to Episode 6, when Whitney brings Henry (Kit Harrington) to a gay night club and leads him to a glory hole.
—Chris O'Falt, IndieWire, 1 Mar. 2026
Regents or viceroys hearken back to royalty and empires, and that’s not the look Trump is going for here—at least for now.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 8 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hearken back
Cite this Entry
“Hearken back.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hearken%20back. Accessed 11 Apr. 2026.
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