as in fogy
a person or thing that is similar to someone or something from the past or that is suited to an earlier time
—usually + to
She's a throwback to the actresses of the 1950s. The band's music is a throwback to the 1980s.
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Recent Examples of throwback
Jonathan Bernstein, Rolling Stone, 25 Mar. 2026
The Belgian was a throwback in the most charming sense; a grinning, winking, slaloming magician who could earn the undying trust of even the most collectivist coach.
—The Athletic Uk Staff, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2026
Tempted to try out the throwback cut for yourself?
—Danielle Sinay, Glamour, 25 Mar. 2026
In some ways, this year's Sweet 16 is a throwback to an increasingly bygone era.
—ABC News, 23 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for throwback
Noun
The album is mostly getting talked about as a throwback blend of crooning and traditional vocals (he’s often compared to Roy Orbison).
—Jonathan Bernstein, Rolling Stone, 25 Mar. 2026
The Belgian was a throwback in the most charming sense; a grinning, winking, slaloming magician who could earn the undying trust of even the most collectivist coach.
—The Athletic Uk Staff, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2026
Tempted to try out the throwback cut for yourself?
—Danielle Sinay, Glamour, 25 Mar. 2026
In some ways, this year's Sweet 16 is a throwback to an increasingly bygone era.
—ABC News, 23 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for throwback
Recent Examples of Synonyms for throwback
Noun
-
Now the 10% is for stubborn old fogies who refuse to change their ways and try something new.—
Chris McKeown,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
14 Feb. 2026
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Old fogey-ish, ungrateful and stupid.—
Katie Hafner,
Scientific American,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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But Florida expects to return Orlando’s Isaiah Brown and his older brother AJ, who transferred last spring from Ohio and redshirted following shoulder surgery.—
Edgar Thompson,
The Orlando Sentinel,
27 Mar. 2026
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Messages left seeking comment from the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office and for Rex Heuermann’s lawyer, Michael Brown, were not immediately returned.—
Colin Mixson,
New York Daily News,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Genetic examination showed the latest find was unambiguously a dog, domesticated and living off human food; until now, fossils of true dogs were not known until 10,000 years ago.—
Tom Chivers,
semafor.com,
27 Mar. 2026
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The innovation platform said that by allowing renewable and fossil-based feedstocks to mix, while matching the amount of renewable input to an equivalent share of output through audits, mass balance can reduce the risk of producers overselling their credentials.—
Jasmin Malik Chua,
Sourcing Journal,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Night fell, and Martha came to a small black lake.—
Cassandra Neyenesch,
New Yorker,
29 Mar. 2026
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Photos shared on social media shows the massive slabs of rock fell just past a blind curve and the SUV sustained major front-end damage.—
Mark Price,
Charlotte Observer,
29 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Yet many of the old-timers and young tech workers who live here seem to have accepted the coming changes as an unavoidable reality of California’s deepening housing crisis.—
Shomik Mukherjee,
Mercury News,
10 Mar. 2026
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The movie is all about old-timers, and it’s filled with real old-timers.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Throughout the years-long investigation, Cherfilus-McCormick declined interview requests from the committee and provided little to no defense against the committee’s allegations.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Some declined to provide their full names, citing safety concerns.—
Eleanor Dearman,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
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In the Seventies, he was mocked as a Vegas has-been in a jumpsuit; in the Eighties, as a cultural colonizer.—
Rob Sheffield,
Rolling Stone,
19 Feb. 2026
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When her estranged daughter unexpectedly moves into their crumbling Manhattan townhouse, the TV has-been is confronted with the one role she’s spent her entire life avoiding: motherhood.—
Peter White,
Deadline,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Floaters are most common in people over age 50 because that’s when the vitreous gel typically begins to degenerate, a process called vitreous syneresis, Starr said.—
Cathy Nelson,
Health,
13 Mar. 2026
-
In 1975, this kind of systemic indictment of how oligarchy degenerates into inhumanity seemed like the project of an avant-garde director determined to push the limits of the audience’s tastes and tolerance.—
Rob Salkowitz,
Forbes.com,
5 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Throwback.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/throwback. Accessed 29 Mar. 2026.
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