hearken back
verb
variants
or harken back
hearkened back or harkened back; hearkening back or harkening back; hearkens back or harkens back
: to go back to or recall to mind something in the past : hark back
—usually used with to
This place caters to Americans and hearkens back to days when the town attracted famous celebrities.—
Barbara Zaragoza
Barbara ZaragozaGreenberg worked very closely with the laboratory which harkened back to his earliest days in the film business …—Ron Magid
Ron MagidExamples of hearken back in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The use of high school students hearkens back to when the bandstand was built.
—Jim Woods, Chicago Tribune, 2 Apr. 2025
As is so often the case with the current president, the episode hearkens back to the 2016 presidential election.
—Niall Stanage, The Hill, 14 Mar. 2025
While initially conceived as an underwear label, Smoked Bone was reimagined as a line of loafers, slippers and robes that hearkened back to late nights on the town and late check-out requests the morning after.
—Eric Twardzik, Robb Report, 28 Mar. 2025
Its return hearkens back to other periods in American history when firing squads were more common, such as the colonial era and the Civil War, when it was used against deserters.
—Tim Stelloh, NBC News, 7 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hearken back
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Jim Woods, Chicago Tribune, 2 Apr. 2025
As is so often the case with the current president, the episode hearkens back to the 2016 presidential election.
—Niall Stanage, The Hill, 14 Mar. 2025
While initially conceived as an underwear label, Smoked Bone was reimagined as a line of loafers, slippers and robes that hearkened back to late nights on the town and late check-out requests the morning after.
—Eric Twardzik, Robb Report, 28 Mar. 2025
Its return hearkens back to other periods in American history when firing squads were more common, such as the colonial era and the Civil War, when it was used against deserters.
—Tim Stelloh, NBC News, 7 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hearken back
Cite this Entry
“Hearken back.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hearken%20back. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.
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