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.

This harks back to the Grace Commission, an outside group of businessmen who worked as volunteers under President Reagan, issuing a massive list of recommendations on how to cut waste and improve government services. —

Dominic Pino, National Review, 19 Dec. 2024 The main residence, enveloped in native plantings and a native oak grove, harks back to 1956 and retains a distinct midcentury style, though it was recently reimagined with rich, natural materials, a neutral color palette, and a strong connection to the outdoors through its many windows. —

Emma Reynolds, Robb Report, 9 Dec. 2024 The original neo-Baroque facades and heritage marble doorways hark back to the glamor of the original Palais, built for two of the city’s most prominent businessmen: the German-Austrian industrialist Hugo Henckel von Donnersmarck and the textile magnet Baron Friedrich von Leitenberger. —

Devorah Lev-Tov, Travel + Leisure, 5 Dec. 2024 The new Neue Klasse harks back to BMW’s company-saving strategy of the 1960s, also of the same name. —

Byjames Morris, Fortune Europe, 26 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for hark back