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 Magid
Examples of hearken back in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Such commentary hearkens back to exorbitant praise of the playwright, which poured forth in the 18th century—from literary critics, poets, actors, philosophers, and even artists.
—Time, 16 Aug. 2023
All of these seeds hearken back to times when seeds were simply a means to grow an abundance of pure, fresh food.
—Melissa Breyer, Treehugger, 14 July 2023
But for the best introduction to the world of brave Jedi, fierce princesses and hairy Wookiees, hearken back to a long, long time ago (the '70s) and start with the beginning of Luke Skywalker's tale.
—Marisa Lascala, Good Housekeeping, 29 Nov. 2022
There are a lot of people putting out memes that hearken back to the era in Germany in 1933.
—Dana Taylor, USA TODAY, 14 July 2023
The Emmy contender is the latest in a line of series — from Gilligan’s Island to Baywatch to Lost — taking fans from the couch to the beach, but the show’s exploration of privilege and mystery particularly hearken back to 1970s escapist gem Fantasy Island.
—Ryan Gajewski, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 June 2022
The disruption hearkened back to last summer’s flight chaos, where U.S. airlines canceled or delayed thousands of flights.
—Nicholas Gordon, Fortune, 26 June 2023
The potential council upheaval could hearken back to 2018, the last time the council experienced three resignations simultaneously.
—Taylor Seely, The Arizona Republic, 20 June 2023
Several months after helping the US avert a nationwide rail strike, this job hearkens back to the days when Walsh was president of the Laborers’ Union Local 223 in Massachusetts.
—Stephen Whyno, BostonGlobe.com, 18 June 2023
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Time, 16 Aug. 2023
All of these seeds hearken back to times when seeds were simply a means to grow an abundance of pure, fresh food.
—Melissa Breyer, Treehugger, 14 July 2023
But for the best introduction to the world of brave Jedi, fierce princesses and hairy Wookiees, hearken back to a long, long time ago (the '70s) and start with the beginning of Luke Skywalker's tale.
—Marisa Lascala, Good Housekeeping, 29 Nov. 2022
There are a lot of people putting out memes that hearken back to the era in Germany in 1933.
—Dana Taylor, USA TODAY, 14 July 2023
The Emmy contender is the latest in a line of series — from Gilligan’s Island to Baywatch to Lost — taking fans from the couch to the beach, but the show’s exploration of privilege and mystery particularly hearken back to 1970s escapist gem Fantasy Island.
—Ryan Gajewski, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 June 2022
The disruption hearkened back to last summer’s flight chaos, where U.S. airlines canceled or delayed thousands of flights.
—Nicholas Gordon, Fortune, 26 June 2023
The potential council upheaval could hearken back to 2018, the last time the council experienced three resignations simultaneously.
—Taylor Seely, The Arizona Republic, 20 June 2023
Several months after helping the US avert a nationwide rail strike, this job hearkens back to the days when Walsh was president of the Laborers’ Union Local 223 in Massachusetts.
—Stephen Whyno, BostonGlobe.com, 18 June 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hearken back.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1900, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near hearken back
Cite this Entry
“Hearken back.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hearken%20back. Accessed 24 Sep. 2023.
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