throwback
Americannoun
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throwbacks
plural
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Biology.
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the reversion to an ancestral or earlier type or character; atavism.
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an individual having the characteristics of a remote ancestor or primitive type; an example of atavism.
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a person or thing that evokes memories or imitates something from the past (often used attributively): On their anniversary, she took to social media with a throwback photo from their wedding reception.
These chandeliers are designed as a throwback to those old-style candlelit lanterns.
On their anniversary, she took to social media with a throwback photo from their wedding reception.
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an act of throwing back.
A sudden ban on fish throwbacks could harm ecosystems, since a range of predator species are reliant on discarded fish as a food source.
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a setback or check.
noun
verb
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(intr) to revert to an earlier or more primitive type
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to force to depend (on)
the crisis threw her back on her faith in God
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of throwback
First recorded in 1855–60; 1915–20 throwback for def. 1; noun use of verb phrase throw back
Explanation
A return to an older way of doing something—or an old characteristic that reappears—is a throwback. If you like dressing in bell bottoms and leisure suits, your style is a throwback to the 1970s. The noun throwback can be a less-formal way to say atavism. Both words describe a reversion to something that was done (or existed) in the past. If you have red hair like your great-grandmother, you can call that trait a throwback. In sports, a throwback uniform is one that mimics an older style, worn by teams in the past. In biology, a throwback is a trait that returns after having been lost through evolution.
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.
See Examples For:
His bouncer to dismiss Babar Azam on day four was a throwback of Archer's fearsome debut on the same ground.
From BBC ● Aug. 30, 2026
Sam Adams writes that the cosmic horror blockbuster is a satisfying throwback to Jurassic Park.
From Slate ● Aug. 14, 2026
With his elevated speech, tony air and throwback attire, he’s like someone from another era; you could see him as one of Jay Gatsby’s pals or a bon vivant who drops by on “Downton Abbey.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026
These throwback parties take place from 6 to 10 p.m. and are immensely popular with older millennials and Gen Xers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026
For me, it was a throwback to the way I’d been raised—the jazz at Southside’s house, the piano recitals and Operetta Workshops put on by my great-aunt Robbie, my family’s trips to downtown museums.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
From Gen Z to Boomers, listeners across generations are increasingly embracing throwbacks.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 3, 2026
Or the yellow Formica kitchen, with its Pyrex hot plate, wall-mounted radio, original Eames barstools and drop-leaf dining table still intact — all charming throwbacks to a simpler time.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 11, 2025
Her paintings contain visual throwbacks to the gilding and draperies of Renaissance paintings, yet also represent stars from films and pop culture.
From New York Times ● Mar. 20, 2024
For more than 20 years, the channel has nurtured and promoted alternative music, introducing new fans to the scene and indulging old ones with iconic throwbacks.
From BBC ● Feb. 17, 2024
These were throwbacks to those ancestors of the race whose science had built their world.
From The Black Star Passes by John Wood Campbell
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
