flash·back
ˈflash-ˌbak 
1
: a recession of flame to an unwanted position (as into a blowpipe)
2
a
: interruption of chronological sequence (as in a film or literary work) by interjection of events of earlier occurrence
also
: an instance of flashback
b
: a past incident recurring vividly in the mind
flashed back; flashing back; flashes back
1
: to focus one's mind on or vividly remember a past time or incident
—usually used with to
flashed back to my childhood
2
: to employ a flashback (as in a film)
—usually used with to
Examples of flashback in a Sentence
Noun
The character's childhood was described in a series of flashbacks.
He's having flashbacks of his days in the war.
Verb
the scent made me flash back to the days of my mother's home-cooked Sunday dinners
Recent Examples on the Web
Richard Edwards, Space.com, 10 May 2025
No photos from the outing are known to exist, but the future Queen Elizabeth and Princess Margaret's night out was reenacted in the sixth and final season of The Crown as flashback sequences.
—Stephanie Petit, People.com, 8 May 2025
Calum Marsh, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2025
The narrative then flashes back to the arrival of the guests a week before, when the mystery of the victim and their killer slowly unravels until the big reveal in the eighth episode.
—Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 4 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for flashback
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Noun
That's actually a flashback to a previous regeneration of the Doctor, played by British actor Jo Martin.
—Richard Edwards, Space.com, 10 May 2025
No photos from the outing are known to exist, but the future Queen Elizabeth and Princess Margaret's night out was reenacted in the sixth and final season of The Crown as flashback sequences.
—Stephanie Petit, People.com, 8 May 2025
Verb
Berman flashes back through the lavish bacchanalia of Alex’s last months, through the eyes of a podcaster trying to unravel the mystery of his death, to reveal the knotty story behind the apparent suicide.
—Calum Marsh, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2025
The narrative then flashes back to the arrival of the guests a week before, when the mystery of the victim and their killer slowly unravels until the big reveal in the eighth episode.
—Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 4 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for flashback
Cite this Entry
“Flashback.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flashback. Accessed 15 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
flashback
noun
flash·back
ˈflash-ˌbak
1
: the introduction of a past event into a story or motion picture
also
: this past event
2
: a past incident recurring clearly in the mind
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