To refer back to something from the past, or to recall and resemble an earlier time or style.
To go back to an older idea, time, or way of doing things.
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
To remind people of something from the past; to be reminiscent of an earlier time or style.
"The band's new album harks back to the classic rock sound of the 1970s."
The design harks back to an era when quality and craftsmanship mattered above all.
— Common usage in design and culture journalism (representative example)
To refer deliberately to an earlier time, idea, or tradition as a basis or justification.
"The politician's speech harked back to the founding principles of the nation."
In fox hunting, to hark (listen) and go back along the trail — for hounds to retrace their steps to relocate a scent.
To go back to an older idea, time, or way of doing things.
Always followed by 'to'. Originally a hunting term meaning for dogs to retrace their steps to find a lost scent. The hunting origin is now forgotten by most speakers. Common in journalism and formal writing. Used both to mean 'to remind us of the past' and 'to refer deliberately to the past'.
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Listen to native speakers using "hark back" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Jump to every phrasal verb built on the same verb, particle, or level.