flashback
a part of a story that shows the past
A scene in a film, book, or other story that interrupts the present-time action to show events that happened earlier.
a sudden strong memory of the past
A sudden, clear memory of something from the past that comes into your mind, often triggered by something you see, hear, or smell.
a strong, unwanted memory of trauma that feels real again
An involuntary and often distressing experience in which someone feels as if a traumatic event is happening again in the present.
something that makes you think of the past
Something that strongly reminds you of a past time, often because it looks or feels old-fashioned or similar to an earlier period.
to suddenly remember the past
To experience a sudden vivid memory of the past, or (in storytelling) to move back to an earlier time.
- Base: flashback
- Plural: flashbacks
a flashback to [time/decade]
1strong reminder of a period
something that feels like an earlier time
- The arcade is a flashback to the 80s.
- That ringtone is a flashback to my old flip phone.
- The décor is a flashback to the 1970s.
- This song is a flashback to the 90s.
flash back
1return to a past memory
to suddenly remember the past
- When I heard the siren, I flashed back to the accident.
- The story flashes back to their childhood in chapter three.
- He kept flashing back to what she had said.
- I flashed back to my first day at school.
have a flashback
1experience a sudden vivid memory
to suddenly remember something strongly
- I had a flashback to our trip when I smelled the ocean air.
- He had a flashback and suddenly felt panicked.
- She sometimes has flashbacks when she’s under stress.
- I had a flashback to my childhood.
in flashback
1shown as past in a story
shown as something that happened earlier
- Her backstory is revealed in flashback.
- The opening is shown in flashback from his point of view.
- We see the argument again in flashback later in the film.
- The scene is shown in flashback.
trigger a flashback
1cause a flashback
to make someone have a sudden strong memory
- Loud bangs can trigger a flashback for him.
- The smell of smoke triggered a flashback to the fire.
- Certain questions may trigger flashbacks during therapy.
- That noise triggered a flashback.