as in fogy
a person or thing that is similar to someone or something from the past or that is suited to an earlier time
—usually + to
She's a throwback to the actresses of the 1950s. The band's music is a throwback to the 1980s.
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Recent Examples of throwback
Jalen Williams, Freep.com, 23 Dec. 2025
New Balance Men’s 2002R Inspired by a fan-favorite style from the early 2000s, these lifestyle sneakers feature a throwback silhouette with modern comforts like impact-absorbing midsoles, cushioned heels, and shock-absorbing outsoles for maximum comfort and stability.
—Sophie Dodd, Travel + Leisure, 19 Dec. 2025
Narrative originality and character relatability were paramount even as throwback franchises reclaimed the spotlight in theaters, and sequels to recent horror hits tested the still-forming legacies of emerging filmmakers.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 19 Dec. 2025
The music is a throwback to the ‘90s jangle-pop of The Cranberries and The Sundays and Roan’s voice aches with heartbreak about a moment that might – or might not have - been meant to be.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 17 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for throwback
Noun
The new throwback plates already had brought in more than $6 million in additional revenue for the state by mid-2024.
—Jalen Williams, Freep.com, 23 Dec. 2025
New Balance Men’s 2002R Inspired by a fan-favorite style from the early 2000s, these lifestyle sneakers feature a throwback silhouette with modern comforts like impact-absorbing midsoles, cushioned heels, and shock-absorbing outsoles for maximum comfort and stability.
—Sophie Dodd, Travel + Leisure, 19 Dec. 2025
Narrative originality and character relatability were paramount even as throwback franchises reclaimed the spotlight in theaters, and sequels to recent horror hits tested the still-forming legacies of emerging filmmakers.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 19 Dec. 2025
The music is a throwback to the ‘90s jangle-pop of The Cranberries and The Sundays and Roan’s voice aches with heartbreak about a moment that might – or might not have - been meant to be.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 17 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for throwback
Recent Examples of Synonyms for throwback
Noun
-
Old fogey-ish, ungrateful and stupid.—
Katie Hafner,
Scientific American,
10 Sep. 2025
-
These are people who know AI and have grown up with this stuff that these old fogies haven't.—
Alison Snyder,
Axios,
23 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Barton will have to wait another month to receive his sentence for the six guilty counts the jury returned on charges of sending a grossly offensive electronic communication with intent to cause distress or anxiety to football broadcasters Eni Aluko and Lucy Ward, and TV and radio host Jeremy Vine.—
Greg O'Keeffe,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
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Thomas returned the ball 10 yards to the Syracuse 23-yard line.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
9 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Populists, protectionists, fossil-fuel lobbies, to name a few.—
Natalie Unterstell,
Time,
6 Nov. 2025
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Mongolia has spent years fighting for the return of dinosaur fossils from around the globe.—
Sam Tabachnik,
Denver Post,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Two things happened on that blustery back-to-school morning that fell exactly a month after my eleventh birthday.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Nov. 2025
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Midway through the third quarter, true freshman linebacker Mason Posa, buried on the depth chart just weeks ago, ripped the ball loose at Washington’s 7-yard line and fell on it himself.—
Ira Gorawara,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Shildt was an old-timer, relying more on feel and instinct than the cellar-dwelling nerds who run the sport with impossible numbers that don’t mean a damn thing.—
Nick Canepa,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
18 Oct. 2025
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California’s vulnerable House Republicans are a diverse gaggle that includes new blood and old-timers, a Trump antagonist and a Trump lickspittle.—
Michelle Cottle,
Mercury News,
24 Sep. 2025
Verb
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When asked about its plans, McDonald's declined to comment to Fox News Digital.—
Deirdre Bardolf,
FOXNews.com,
10 Jan. 2026
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Due to ongoing litigation, the airline declined to comment further.—
Marina Watts,
PEOPLE,
10 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Ken Blake Brea Sorry to see Jerry Neuheisel leave UCLA to join traitor and coaching has-been Chip Kelly at Northwestern.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Jan. 2026
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All this success begs the legitimate question of how the once-struggling reality show for has-been celebrities reinvented itself and became a pop-cultural phenomenon that any public figure would be lucky to utilize as their re-introduction into the zeitgeist.—
McKinley Franklin,
HollywoodReporter,
25 Nov. 2025
Verb
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After a police operation in Rio de Janeiro in October degenerated into a chaotic shootout, leading to more than 120 deaths, Brazilian civil society groups reacted in horror.—
Brian Winter,
Foreign Affairs,
16 Dec. 2025
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Our national political and cultural discourse, especially online, has degenerated into a permanent fever dream.—
Josh Hammer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Throwback.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/throwback. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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