hearken back

verb

variants or harken back

hearkened back or harkened back; hearkening back or harkening back; hearkens back or harkens back

intransitive verb

: 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

Greenberg worked very closely with the laboratory which harkened back to his earliest days in the film business …

—Ron Magid

Examples of hearken back in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Known as a miner’s cut or old mine cut, this style hearkens back to the Victorian and Edwardian eras. — Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 2 July 2026

To have the dissenters hearken back to the 19th century and discourse about voting customs then was inapt, and the justice called them on it. — John E. Jones Iii, The Conversation, 1 July 2026

The site hearkens back to Florida roadside attractions of the past but offers plenty of present-day opportunities for animal encounters amid a backdrop of tropical foliage. — Beth Luberecki, USA Today, 30 June 2026

Michelle hearkened back to her White House-era style in a sheath dress that wouldn’t have looked out of place in her first lady wardrobe. — Lara Walsh, InStyle, 24 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1900, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for hearken back

• almanac
• camelback
• cardiac
• carryback
• cluniac
• diamondback
• lumberjack
• maniac
• paperback
• piggyback
• quarterback
• saddleback