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

Her post included a video montage of photos from Parker's birthday celebration and several wholesome childhood throwbacks. —Madison E. Goldberg, People.com, 3 Sep. 2025

The crime thriller Caught Stealing is a throwback to a gritty, bygone era—with none of the pathos. —David Sims, The Atlantic, 29 Aug. 2025

Matt Krohn/Getty Images The design has been slightly tweaked, but the all-time favorite style throwback will officially be the main jerseys the Jazz will wear for the upcoming season. —Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Aug. 2025

Shania Twain celebrated turning 60 with an iconic throwback shared on Instagram Thursday. —Tracy Wright, FOXNews.com, 29 Aug. 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