hark back
verb
Did you know?
Hark Back Got Its Start in Hunting
Hark, a very old word meaning "to listen," was used as a cry in hunting. The master of the hunt might cry "Hark! Forward!" or "Hark! Back!" The cries became set phrases, both as nouns and verbs. Thus, a "hark back" was a retracing of a route by dogs and hunters, and to "hark back" was to turn back along the path. From its use in hunting, the verb soon acquired its current figurative meanings. The variants hearken and harken (also very old words meaning “to listen”) are also used, with and without back, as synonyms of hark back.
Examples of hark back in a Sentence
Michael Teo Van Runkle, ArsTechnica, 30 May 2025
The hotel’s formal service and decor hark back to the last days of the Grand Tour when European and American elite converged on Rome for its cultural—and couture—offerings, a tradition that still thrives here.
—Erica Firpo, AFAR Media, 29 May 2025
Parker’s side part harked back to the beauty trends of the 2010s, a pivotal time in the lives of many Gen Z-ers.
—Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 24 May 2025
Sperling’s interest in modularity harks back to a childhood fixation on Legos.
—R. Daniel Foster, Forbes.com, 23 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for hark back
Cite this Entry
“Hark back.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hark%20back. Accessed 6 Jun. 2025.
Copy Citation
Share