What does "throwback" mean?
A reversion to an earlier stage of development.
Throwback
/ˈθɹəʊ.bæk/ noun, slang
noun, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A reversion to an earlier stage of development.
- Grammar: throwback is listed as noun, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: atavism, reversion, ancestral trait, ancestral type.
- Useful contrasts: contemporary, contemporary form, futurism.
- Usage evidence: Boy, that song is really a throwback to the old days!
How to use "throwback"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "throwback" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "throwback" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "throwback" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "throwback" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "throwback" is acting as noun, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "atavism" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "throwback", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A reversion to an earlier stage of development. countable, uncountable
"You see, the House of Representatives recently passed a military budget that is wholly inadequate, a throwback to the seventies, a budget that is a breach of faith with our Armed Forces and our allies and would send exactly the wrong signal to the Soviets and their satellites."
- 2 a reappearance of an earlier characteristic wordnet
- 3 A person considered to be primitive, uncivilized and mentally deficient. countable, derogatory, uncountable
- 4 an organism that has the characteristics of a more primitive type of that organism wordnet
- 5 An organism that has characteristics of a more primitive form. countable, uncountable
Show 4 more definitions
- 6 An atavism. countable, uncountable
- 7 A person similar to an ancestor, or something new similar to what already existed. countable, uncountable
""But this is marvellous. It might be his portrait." "Yes, it is an interesting instance of a throw-back, which appears to be both physical and spiritual. A study of family portraits is enough to convert a man to the doctrine of reincarnation. The fellow is a Baskerville—that is evident.""
- 8 A person or thing that evokes memories. attributive, countable, often, slang, uncountable
"Céline Dion belted her iconic song "My Heart Will Go On" in a show-stopping performance at the 2017 Billboard Music Awards on May 21. The legendary singer gave the throwback performance in honor of the 20th anniversary of the hit song from the Titanic soundtrack."
- 9 A practice to avoid untaxed nowhere income by instead taxing such income in the originating state for a given transaction. US, countable, uncountable
"Under the throwback rule, sales into a state where the taxpayer is not taxable are “thrown back” from the destination state to the origin state by adding the nontaxable sales to the numerator in the apportionment factor."
Adjective
- 1 characteristic of an atavist wordnet
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"Boy, that song is really a throwback to the old days!"
Common questions
What is a synonym for "throwback"?
Common synonyms include: atavism, reversion, ancestral trait, ancestral type, archaic, atavism.
How do you use "throwback" in a sentence?
Boy, that song is really a throwback to the old days!
How do you pronounce "throwback"?
Pronounced /ˈθɹəʊ.bæk/.
Etymology
Deverbal from throw back.