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
threw back; thrown back; throwing back; throws back
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
Michael Novak3
: reflect
: to revert to an earlier type or phase
Examples of throwback in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the WebMichael Rechtshaffen, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Sep. 2023
The vintage-look Atari 2600 Plus is a throwback to the golden age of video gaming.
—Brendan McAleer, Car and Driver, 2 Sep. 2023
Cook’s Corner is an anachronism, a throwback to when Orange County was known mostly for its eponymous trees and its ranches and orchards stretching to the sea.
—Karim Doumar, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2023
And as conference realignment continues, the MAC is a throwback.
—Michael Marot, The Enquirer, 24 Aug. 2023
That input resulted in a throwback, outsider style that slots tidily into the 1950s, but not at all into the rich musical output of 1979, which included Joy Division’s Unknown Pleasures, Michael Jackson’s Off the Wall, and AC/DC’s Highway to Hell.
—Lily Moayeri, Spin, 23 Aug. 2023
Pop duo The Rembrandts performed the official music video for the hit series' theme song at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in New York City with a little help from Aniston, Cox and Kudrow in this iconic throwback.
—Janine Henni, Peoplemag, 17 Aug. 2023
In a throwback to the 1980s and its Walkmans, Japan’s greatest tech player is still Sony Corporation.
—Peter Vanham, Fortune, 17 Aug. 2023
The uniforms are a throwback to the late 1990s and early 2000s when Brees led the Boilermakers to a Rose Bowl appearance after a victory over Indiana in November 2000.
—Evan Frank, The Indianapolis Star, 12 Aug. 2023
Brittany Vanderbill, Better Homes & Gardens, 31 July 2023
The latter starred Peter Weller in the story of a space shuttle crew thrown back in time five years to prevent the destruction of Earth.
—Mike Barnes, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 July 2023
Did Nazi scientists, eager to devise a weapon that could throw back advancing Allied armies, create a time-traveling UFO to win World War II?
—Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, 10 Aug. 2023
And then there are the coaches who take advantage of the shorter distance between bases in Little League by having players steal as the catcher throws back to the pitcher.
—Stephen Borelli, USA TODAY, 29 July 2023
According to the New York Times, several other singers have thrown back their own shoeys while on tour, including Post Malone, Machine Gun Kelly, Kacey Musgraves and Luke Bryan.
—Henry Chandonnet, Peoplemag, 24 July 2023
Think vaulted ceilings and boho decor that throw back to the heyday of surfing in the ’60s.
—Krista Simmons, Sunset Magazine, 19 July 2023
With Peguero’s back turned to De La Cruz after taking the throw back from catcher William Contreras following the steal of third, De La Cruz bolted toward the plate.
—Journal Sentinel, 8 July 2023
The ball landed a few rows into the right-field pavilion and was thrown back onto the outfield grass before Suwinski rounded the bases.
—Jorge Castillo, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2023
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Noun
Over the following years, Helgeland would complete three more versions of the script, but while the end result is set in the present day, there’s a palpable throwback, been-there-done-that vibe to the proceedings.
—Michael Rechtshaffen, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Sep. 2023
The vintage-look Atari 2600 Plus is a throwback to the golden age of video gaming.
—Brendan McAleer, Car and Driver, 2 Sep. 2023
Cook’s Corner is an anachronism, a throwback to when Orange County was known mostly for its eponymous trees and its ranches and orchards stretching to the sea.
—Karim Doumar, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2023
And as conference realignment continues, the MAC is a throwback.
—Michael Marot, The Enquirer, 24 Aug. 2023
That input resulted in a throwback, outsider style that slots tidily into the 1950s, but not at all into the rich musical output of 1979, which included Joy Division’s Unknown Pleasures, Michael Jackson’s Off the Wall, and AC/DC’s Highway to Hell.
—Lily Moayeri, Spin, 23 Aug. 2023
Pop duo The Rembrandts performed the official music video for the hit series' theme song at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in New York City with a little help from Aniston, Cox and Kudrow in this iconic throwback.
—Janine Henni, Peoplemag, 17 Aug. 2023
In a throwback to the 1980s and its Walkmans, Japan’s greatest tech player is still Sony Corporation.
—Peter Vanham, Fortune, 17 Aug. 2023
The uniforms are a throwback to the late 1990s and early 2000s when Brees led the Boilermakers to a Rose Bowl appearance after a victory over Indiana in November 2000.
—Evan Frank, The Indianapolis Star, 12 Aug. 2023
Verb
To keep operators safe, this cordless chainsaw comes with an electric chain brake to stop the chain from circling and a low kickback chain to keep users safe in case of kickback, which is when the chain gets stuck or pinched while cutting an object and the chainsaw is thrown back at the operator.
—Brittany Vanderbill, Better Homes & Gardens, 31 July 2023
The latter starred Peter Weller in the story of a space shuttle crew thrown back in time five years to prevent the destruction of Earth.
—Mike Barnes, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 July 2023
Did Nazi scientists, eager to devise a weapon that could throw back advancing Allied armies, create a time-traveling UFO to win World War II?
—Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, 10 Aug. 2023
And then there are the coaches who take advantage of the shorter distance between bases in Little League by having players steal as the catcher throws back to the pitcher.
—Stephen Borelli, USA TODAY, 29 July 2023
According to the New York Times, several other singers have thrown back their own shoeys while on tour, including Post Malone, Machine Gun Kelly, Kacey Musgraves and Luke Bryan.
—Henry Chandonnet, Peoplemag, 24 July 2023
Think vaulted ceilings and boho decor that throw back to the heyday of surfing in the ’60s.
—Krista Simmons, Sunset Magazine, 19 July 2023
With Peguero’s back turned to De La Cruz after taking the throw back from catcher William Contreras following the steal of third, De La Cruz bolted toward the plate.
—Journal Sentinel, 8 July 2023
The ball landed a few rows into the right-field pavilion and was thrown back onto the outfield grass before Suwinski rounded the bases.
—Jorge Castillo, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2023
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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'throwback.' 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
Noun
1883, in the meaning defined at sense 2b
Verb
1656, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 2
Articles Related to throwback
Dictionary Entries Near throwback
Cite this Entry
“Throwback.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/throwback. Accessed 26 Sep. 2023.
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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
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