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flash-forward

American  
[flash-fawr-werd] / ˈflæʃˈfɔr wərd /

noun

  1. a device in the narrative of a motion picture, novel, etc., by which a future event or scene is inserted into the chronological structure of the work.

  2. an event or scene so inserted.


Etymology

Origin of flash-forward

1945–50; flash + forward, on the model of flashback

Vocabulary lists containing flash-forward

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

They suggest the actors will appear in a flash-forward sequence which features in the novel the new film's based on.

From BBC • Dec. 11, 2025

From its playfully inventive opening to its flash-forward finale, Thomas Hardiman’s wild — and wildly impressive — first feature, set during a British regional hairdressing competition, is a proudly indelicate, painstakingly structured pleasure.

From New York Times • Aug. 10, 2023

He's the only person she can really talk to, she says in the flash-forward when she's in her 20s and making major scientific breakthroughs.

From Salon • May 20, 2023

Like a good ol’ TV flash-forward, a version of that girl, give or take a few years, became the inspiration for a character rarely seen leading a series.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 13, 2022

There’s a flash-forward early on that indicates that we’ll be seeing more of the story at some point.

From The Verge • Sep. 23, 2021

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