as in fogey
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 throw back
Tim Neville, Travel + Leisure, 15 June 2025
The second Trump administration is arguably the first in which this faction of conservatives, a throwback to the days of Herbert Hoover and Robert Taft, have a major role in national security issues.
—Michael Singh, Foreign Affairs, 11 June 2025
Family trips to the Isles of Scilly, off the southwest coast of England, are a throwback to Prince William's own childhood, when he and Prince Harry were taken to the islands by their parents, Princess Diana and the future King Charles.
—Stephanie Petit, People.com, 30 May 2025
Hosted by Kevin Hart, this year's edition of the BET Awards featured flashy performances, beloved throwbacks and poignant tributes to legends past and present.
—Brendan Le, People.com, 10 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for throw back
Verb
Slurp oysters at the Lewes Oyster House, a throwback to the 18th-century taverns that sprung up along the mid-Atlantic coast during colonial times.
—Tim Neville, Travel + Leisure, 15 June 2025
The second Trump administration is arguably the first in which this faction of conservatives, a throwback to the days of Herbert Hoover and Robert Taft, have a major role in national security issues.
—Michael Singh, Foreign Affairs, 11 June 2025
Family trips to the Isles of Scilly, off the southwest coast of England, are a throwback to Prince William's own childhood, when he and Prince Harry were taken to the islands by their parents, Princess Diana and the future King Charles.
—Stephanie Petit, People.com, 30 May 2025
Hosted by Kevin Hart, this year's edition of the BET Awards featured flashy performances, beloved throwbacks and poignant tributes to legends past and present.
—Brendan Le, People.com, 10 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for throw back
Recent Examples of Synonyms for throw back
Verb
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Doubs suffered a high ankle sprain in Week 9, though, and didn’t return for six weeks.—
Rob Reischel,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
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However, a routine scan in March 2025 revealed that the tumor was returning.—
Latoya Gayle,
People.com,
1 July 2025
Noun
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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
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And some of us older fogies, Joni Mitchell and Carole King.—
Lars Brandle,
Billboard,
10 Oct. 2023
Verb
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When her moment came to walk the red carpet three days later, a radiant Cassie held hands with Combs, her hair styled to fall just over her injured eyebrow and eye.—
Laura Trujillo,
USA Today,
27 June 2025
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Season two saw Valerie cast in an HBO project about the sitcom writer who made her life hell in season one, earning widespread acclaim professionally even as her personal life was falling apart.—
Rick Porter,
HollywoodReporter,
27 June 2025
Noun
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According to a new study in Cretaceous Research, scientists have identified a new lekking site at Dinosaur Ridge in Colorado — a spot famous for its iconic fossils, including Stegosaurus, Apatosaurus, Allosaurus, and more.—
Sam Walters,
Discover Magazine,
27 June 2025
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These fossils, possibly brought by ancient trade networks, suggest a fascinating intersection of natural history and human activity.—
Real-Time news team,
Miami Herald,
27 June 2025
Verb
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LeBron James already opted in to a $52.6 million deal with the Lakers for next season, the Rockets traded for Durant and the Los Angeles Clippers saw James Harden decline his option in return for a new deal and a raise.—
Tim Reynolds,
Chicago Tribune,
1 July 2025
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At the time, Harvard declined to comment on the president’s post.—
Laya Neelakandan,
CNBC,
30 June 2025
Noun
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More deals may or may not emerge – old-timer Mediacom is still operating independently - but none may ever again represent a real realignment in the cable world.—
Howard Homonoff,
Forbes.com,
20 May 2025
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That puts him in league with ornery old-timers being refused entry into supermarkets, where customers queue outside, standing six feet apart.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
16 May 2025
Verb
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On Saturday, after a protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrests degenerated into violence, the administration reacted as if the country were on the brink of war.—
David French,
Mercury News,
10 June 2025
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His tariff scheme seems to have degenerated from a program to restore American manufacturing to little more than a form of blackmail to extort concessions from U.S. trading partners—in the process allowing Trump to present himself as a powerful leader whose ass is getting kissed.—
Michael Schuman,
The Atlantic,
11 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Sonny strides onto the track with unruffled cool—a Pitt signature—and is laconic enough to endure a series of press conferences at which journalists are quick to label him a has-been.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
20 June 2025
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On June 8, Nicole Scherzinger, 46, won her first Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical for her role as Norma Desmond, a has-been staging a comeback in Sunset Blvd, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Broadway adaptation of the 1950 film by the same name.—
Olivia B. Waxman,
Time,
9 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Throw back.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/throw%20back. Accessed 6 Jul. 2025.
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