hark back
verb
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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
Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 7 May 2025
Also unveiled are floral ornaments and garlands that haven’t been visible for decades: the result is a grand, wedding-cake-like aesthetic.
Inside the building, meanwhile, the grand lobby features restored leaded glass and marble panels; while wooden desks and booths hark back to the 1920s roots.
—Angelina Villa-Clarke, Forbes.com, 19 Apr. 2025
Its rectangular shape evokes a vintage cigarette pouch, and every detail harks back to the fashion house’s extensive, industry-defining legacy.
—Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 10 Apr. 2025
Palm Beach lists eight luxury hotels, one of which includes a boutique hotel within the iconic Breakers, offering 21 rooms and suites within the confines of the main hotel, which harks back to 1896.
—Kathleen Turner, Forbes.com, 21 Apr. 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 14 May. 2025.
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