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
Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 27 Apr. 2026
The success of more straightforward spoofs such as Schaffer’s The Naked Gun last year is also reassuring; that film was a classic joke-a-minute throwback that largely worked (for both viewers and critics), more in line with the sort of fare that the Lonely Island made early on.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 27 Apr. 2026
To celebrate, his daughter Lorraine Nicholson shared a tribute on Instagram stories, dazzling fans with a throwback photo and a peek into her father’s life now.
—Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 24 Apr. 2026
Naqvi’s blend of ethical business and economic hyper-liberalism now seems like a throwback to a different era.
—Hettie O'Brien, The Dial, 21 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for throwback
Noun
Then there’s Hampden, which feels like a throwback to the past, very siloed from what’s around it, just minutes from Roland Park but completely different.
—Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 27 Apr. 2026
The success of more straightforward spoofs such as Schaffer’s The Naked Gun last year is also reassuring; that film was a classic joke-a-minute throwback that largely worked (for both viewers and critics), more in line with the sort of fare that the Lonely Island made early on.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 27 Apr. 2026
To celebrate, his daughter Lorraine Nicholson shared a tribute on Instagram stories, dazzling fans with a throwback photo and a peek into her father’s life now.
—Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 24 Apr. 2026
Naqvi’s blend of ethical business and economic hyper-liberalism now seems like a throwback to a different era.
—Hettie O'Brien, The Dial, 21 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for throwback
Recent Examples of Synonyms for throwback
Noun
-
There’s no old fogey-ness to Lorne.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
20 Apr. 2026
-
For the benefit of us old fogies?—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Robert Pattinson is set to return as Bruce Wayne, joined by Colin Farrell as Oz Cobb (aka the Penguin), Jeffrey Wright as Commissioner James Gordon and Andy Serkis as Alfred Pennyworth.—
Kennedy French,
Variety,
8 May 2026
-
His velocity, however, never quite returned.—
Abbey Mastracco,
New York Daily News,
7 May 2026
Noun
-
The Burgess Shale is one of a small handful of Cambrian deposits that reach the level of Lagerstätten, a German term used to describe incredibly diverse and exceptionally preserved fossil sites.—
Marlowe Starling,
Quanta Magazine,
1 May 2026
-
Recent fossil discoveries hint at when and how birds started making this journey.—
Kate Wong,
Scientific American,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
Right-hander Roki Sasaki strengthened his case Saturday with a quality start, despite some hiccups, as the Dodgers fell 3-2 to the Cardinals, extending their losing streak to four games.—
Maddie Lee,
Los Angeles Times,
3 May 2026
-
Jupiter Jupiter, as darkness falls, will be roughly one-third up from the western horizon to the point directly overhead.—
Joe Rao,
Space.com,
2 May 2026
Noun
-
Some bargain hunters poked around, while a handful of old-timers walked the halls for exercise.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
1 May 2026
-
Tastee-Freez was where Middle American children were rewarded, budding adults savored their first morsels of independence, and old-timers gathered to reminisce.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Bass defended her administration’s handling of homelessness, pointing to declining homelessness counts and the city’s Inside Safe program, while criticizing Raman’s record on police hiring and past votes against some encampment enforcement measures near schools and other sensitive sites.—
Teresa Liu,
Daily News,
8 May 2026
-
Spatola and his legal team declined to comment immediately after the verdict.—
Nancy Dillon,
Rolling Stone,
7 May 2026
Noun
-
In the Seventies, he was mocked as a Vegas has-been in a jumpsuit; in the Eighties, as a cultural colonizer.—
Rob Sheffield,
Rolling Stone,
19 Feb. 2026
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When her estranged daughter unexpectedly moves into their crumbling Manhattan townhouse, the TV has-been is confronted with the one role she’s spent her entire life avoiding: motherhood.—
Peter White,
Deadline,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
McFarland found the items inside a degenerating family trunk.—
Gabrielle Rockson,
PEOPLE,
21 Apr. 2026
-
Last fall, a Krousty Sabaïdi giveaway promoted by popular French influencer Fares Salvatore, who has more than 868,000 followers on TikTok, degenerated into mayhem when the call-out attracted 3,000 teenagers.—
Vivian Song,
CNN Money,
3 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Throwback.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/throwback. Accessed 8 May. 2026.
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