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

The way this movie ends hearkens back to the end of the Dark Knight trilogy, in which Christian Bale’s Bruce Wayne and Michael Caine’s Alfred Pennyworth nod at one another in unspoken agreement. — Ken Makin, Christian Science Monitor, 3 Aug. 2026

Retaining family control — and hearkening back to Jack Link's willingness to experiment — has helped the company respond effectively to challenges, says Troy Link, who succeeded his father as Link Snacks CEO in 2013. — Tom Huddleston Jr. zachary Green, CNBC, 29 July 2026

For fans of Aquamarine, an entire season hearkens back to the movie. — Bailey Richards, PEOPLE, 14 July 2026

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

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