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
Nicole Winfield, Los Angeles Times, 18 May 2025
There have been reports of explosions and blackouts overnight as both sides blame each other for the escalating tensions, which ultimately hark back some eight decades to the 1947 partition of India.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 9 May 2025
The big picture: Her new counseling role harks back to her job as secretary.
—Daniel Moore, Axios, 15 Apr. 2025
Indeed, the triple-decker menu, which features five sandwich iterations, highlights the art of sandwich making, harking back to the days of yore when piling high house-cut meat was the norm.
—Brock Keeling, Oc Register, 15 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 3 Jun. 2025.
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