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
Synonyms
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
Dani Di Placido, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2024
Among the best horror-adjacent offerings are Peacock’s satanic panic flashback Hysteria! and an unconventional serial-killer story, Sweetpea, from Starz.
—Judy Berman, TIME, 30 Oct. 2024
A.a. Dowd, Vulture, 30 July 2024
One episode flashes back to how Eli and Lynn met, with digital effects briefly turning Crystal and Light back into their Nineties selves.
—Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 24 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for flashback 
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Noun
During a prolonged flashback, Agatha is painted as a serial killer in a relationship with Death (Aubrey Plaza), who uses her magic-leeching abilities to kill an extraordinary number of women over the centuries.
—Dani Di Placido, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2024
Among the best horror-adjacent offerings are Peacock’s satanic panic flashback Hysteria! and an unconventional serial-killer story, Sweetpea, from Starz.
—Judy Berman, TIME, 30 Oct. 2024
Verb
Late Night With the Devil (2023) The most recent film on this list flashes back to the same era of media sensationalism savaged by the earliest.
—A.a. Dowd, Vulture, 30 July 2024
One episode flashes back to how Eli and Lynn met, with digital effects briefly turning Crystal and Light back into their Nineties selves.
—Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 24 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for flashback
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Dictionary Entries Near flashback
Cite this Entry
“Flashback.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flashback. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
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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