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
In some ways, his efforts hearkened back to the origins of America itself.
—Adam L. Rovner, The Conversation, 29 Apr. 2025
Summers hearkened back to the 1970s, when former President Nixon tried to pressure his Treasury secretary, George Shultz, to investigate his political enemies.
—Sarah Fortinsky, The Hill, 17 Apr. 2025
For our writer, retro classics like Wonder bread, cold hot dogs, stovetop pudding, and ham sandwiches hearken back to his youth.
—Robert Klose, Christian Science Monitor, 1 May 2025
Where some public lands advocates cheer when Democratic presidents have named new national monuments and assigned federal workers to manage them, some Utah conservatives remain angry at those moves, hearkening back to the Sagebrush Rebellion invoked by President Ronald Reagan, among others.
—Trevor Hughes, USA TODAY, 9 Mar. 2025
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Adam L. Rovner, The Conversation, 29 Apr. 2025
Summers hearkened back to the 1970s, when former President Nixon tried to pressure his Treasury secretary, George Shultz, to investigate his political enemies.
—Sarah Fortinsky, The Hill, 17 Apr. 2025
For our writer, retro classics like Wonder bread, cold hot dogs, stovetop pudding, and ham sandwiches hearken back to his youth.
—Robert Klose, Christian Science Monitor, 1 May 2025
Where some public lands advocates cheer when Democratic presidents have named new national monuments and assigned federal workers to manage them, some Utah conservatives remain angry at those moves, hearkening back to the Sagebrush Rebellion invoked by President Ronald Reagan, among others.
—Trevor Hughes, USA TODAY, 9 Mar. 2025
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 25 May. 2025.
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