hark back

verb

harked back; harking back; harks back

intransitive verb

: to turn back to an earlier topic or circumstance

: to go back to something as an origin or source

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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

the new stadium, designed for nostalgic appeal, harks back to the intimate ballparks of yore

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

At the forefront is the Jackie 1961 small shoulder bag, an enduring classic with a sleek, curved silhouette and piston hardware that harks back to its original 1950s design, a favorite of Jackie Kennedy herself. —

Lilah Ramzi, Vogue, 27 Nov. 2024 The French leader harked back to their initially warm ties. —

Ned Temko, The Christian Science Monitor, 7 Nov. 2024 In the overall scheme of things, harking back to those 300 billion messages that flow through the Gmail servers daily, such errors will be rare, relatively speaking. —

Davey Winder, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024 Aguilar also became a huge concert attraction across the Americas with a gentlemanly vocal style that harks back to 20th century Mexico — an intoxicating blend of jubilant ranchera and misty bolero pathos. —

Ernesto Lechner, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for hark back