throwback

1 of 2

noun

throw·​back ˈthrō-ˌbak 

1

: one that is suggestive of or suited to an earlier time or style

his manners were a throwback to a more polite era

2

a

: reversion to an earlier type or phase : atavism

b

: an instance or product of atavistic reversion

throw back

2 of 2

verb

threw back; thrown back; throwing back; throws back

transitive verb

1

: to delay the progress or advance of : check

2

: to cause to rely : make dependent

… they are thrown back upon … native intelligence …

—Michael Novak

3

: reflect

intransitive verb

: to revert to an earlier type or phase

Examples of throwback in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Amber Valletta shut down the red carpet in a classic throwback look. —Lori A Bashian, FOXNews.com, 4 Nov. 2025

Her October 29 video, a throwback from January, instantly became a hit, bringing in over 858,000 views on Instagram as of Monday. —Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2025

The menu’s throwbacks will be much less subtle. —Su-Jit Lin, Southern Living, 31 Oct. 2025

In 2023, Kim shared a throwback photo on her Instagram Stories of her and Caitlyn to celebrate the reality star's 74th birthday. —Emily Blackwood, PEOPLE, 30 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1883, in the meaning defined at sense 2b

Verb

1656, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 2

Rhymes for throwback

• aback
• anzac
• attack
• backpack
• backtrack
• bareback
• blackjack
• brownback
• buyback
• callback
• cognac
• comeback

Kids Definition

throwback

noun

throw·​back ˈthrō-ˌbak 

: something that has changed back to an earlier type or phase

Medical Definition

throwback

noun

throw·​back ˈthrō-ˌbak 

1

: reversion to an earlier type or phase : atavism

2

: an instance or product of atavistic reversion