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

But at UConn this trio has been an outlier, a throwback to the days of patience as a two-way road. —Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 7 Jan. 2026

Similarly, Julian, nestled in the mountains east of San Diego, is a nostalgic throwback to the gold rush era. —Amplified Content Studio, Mercury News, 7 Jan. 2026

To prompt the conversation, Fallon took a trip down memory lane by showing Sink throwback photos of herself from earlier episodes of Stranger Things. —Skyler Caruso, PEOPLE, 6 Jan. 2026

The Hurricanes are back on college football’s biggest stage, not as a novelty, not as a throwback, but as a legitimate playoff team built for modern college football. —Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 6 Jan. 2026

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