flash·back
ˈflash-ˌbak 
1
: a recession of flame to an unwanted position (as into a blowpipe)
2
a
: interruption of chronological sequence (as in a film or literary work) by interjection of events of earlier occurrence
also
: an instance of flashback
b
: a past incident recurring vividly in the mind
flashed back; flashing back; flashes back
1
: to focus one's mind on or vividly remember a past time or incident
—usually used with to
flashed back to my childhood
2
: to employ a flashback (as in a film)
—usually used with to
Examples of flashback in a Sentence
Noun
The character's childhood was described in a series of flashbacks.
He's having flashbacks of his days in the war.
Verb
the scent made me flash back to the days of my mother's home-cooked Sunday dinners
Recent Examples on the Web
Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 20 Mar. 2025
The whodunit's central mystery is also half-baked: the death of Wynter is as bland as Esposito's character is in flashbacks.
—Kelly Lawler, USA TODAY, 20 Mar. 2025
Peter Debruge, Variety, 19 Mar. 2025
Lily James portrayed a younger version of Streep's character and Sophie's mother, Donna; the movie flashes back to Donna's encounters with Sophie's three possible fathers as Sophie and her husband Sky (Cooper, 46) prepare to welcome their own child in the present.
—Jen Juneau, People.com, 10 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for flashback
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Noun
The singer still has war flashbacks to her surprise Hot Ones experience on The Tonight Show in 2019, but having him by her side for her first official appearance on the viral show made all the difference.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 20 Mar. 2025
The whodunit's central mystery is also half-baked: the death of Wynter is as bland as Esposito's character is in flashbacks.
—Kelly Lawler, USA TODAY, 20 Mar. 2025
Verb
When Levinson first flashes back to Frank and Vito’s early days, the production boosts credibility by presenting vintage black-and-white stills, doctored to include the cast.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 19 Mar. 2025
Lily James portrayed a younger version of Streep's character and Sophie's mother, Donna; the movie flashes back to Donna's encounters with Sophie's three possible fathers as Sophie and her husband Sky (Cooper, 46) prepare to welcome their own child in the present.
—Jen Juneau, People.com, 10 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for flashback
Cite this Entry
“Flashback.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flashback. Accessed 28 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
flashback
noun
flash·back
ˈflash-ˌbak
1
: the introduction of a past event into a story or motion picture
also
: this past event
2
: a past incident recurring clearly in the mind
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