Meanings
nounflashback (plural flashbacks)
plural flashbacks
- Something that evokes old memories; a throwback.
We danced fast to Martha and the Vandellas, Supremes or even the Beach Boys. Slow to Dusty Springfield or Righteous Brothers (how's that for a heavy flash back?)
1971, Georgia Strait, “The Gay Ghetto”, in Body Politic, number 1, page 17 - A similar recurrence of the effects of a hallucinogenic drug.
Maude Lebowski: What do you do for recreation? / The Dude: Oh, the usual. I bowl. Drive around. The occasional acid flashback.
1998, Joel and Ethan Coen, The Big Lebowski (motion picture) - The condition of the flame propagating down the hose of an oxy-fuel welding system.
- computingA query that operates against data from an earlier time, before it was changed.
As noted, that method provides limited support for multi-table flashbacks.
2004, Kevin Loney, Oracle Database 10g The Complete Reference, page 4971 more example
[…] less used and specialized types of queries, including composite queries, hierarchical queries, version flashbacks, and parallel queries.
2004, Gavin J. T. Powell, Carol McCullough-Dieter, Oracle SQL: Jumpstart with Examples, page xxv
verbflashback (third-person singular simple present flashbacks, present participle flashbacking, simple past and past participle flashbacked)
present singular third person flashbacks · participle present flashbacking · participle past flashbacked · past flashbacked
- intransitiveTo undergo a flashback; to experience a vivid mental image from the past.
Synonyms: flash back
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA dramatic device in which an earlier event is inserted into the normal chronological flow of a narrative.
Similar
verbTo undergo a flashback; to experience a vivid mental image from the past.
Similar
More synonyms by meaning
nouna transition (in literary or theatrical works or films) to an earlier event or scene that interrupts the normal chronological development of the story
Opposite
Broader
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
Translations
Catalan salt enrere, analepsi
- salt enrerea dramatic device in which an earlier event is inserted into the normal chronological flow of a narrative
- analepsia dramatic device in which an earlier event is inserted into the normal chronological flow of a narrative
- flaixbaca vivid mental image of a past trauma, especially one that recurs
Chinese Mandarin 倒敘 /倒叙, 幻覺重現 /幻觉重现
- 倒敘 /倒叙 (dàoxù)a dramatic device in which an earlier event is inserted into the normal chronological flow of a narrative
- 幻覺重現 /幻觉重现 (huànjué chóngxiàn)a vivid mental image of a past trauma, especially one that recurs
Danish tilbageblik, flashback
- tilbageblika dramatic device in which an earlier event is inserted into the normal chronological flow of a narrative
- flashbacka dramatic device in which an earlier event is inserted into the normal chronological flow of a narrative
- flashbacka vivid mental image of a past trauma, especially one that recurs
- flashbacka similar recurrence of the effects of a hallucinogenic drug
Finnish takauma, muistikuva
- takaumaa dramatic device in which an earlier event is inserted into the normal chronological flow of a narrative
- muistikuvaa vivid mental image of a past trauma, especially one that recurs
French retour en arrière, analepse
- retour en arrièrea dramatic device in which an earlier event is inserted into the normal chronological flow of a narrative
- analepsea dramatic device in which an earlier event is inserted into the normal chronological flow of a narrative
- flashbacka dramatic device in which an earlier event is inserted into the normal chronological flow of a narrative
German Rückblende, Rückblick
- Rückblendea dramatic device in which an earlier event is inserted into the normal chronological flow of a narrative
- Rückblicka dramatic device in which an earlier event is inserted into the normal chronological flow of a narrative
- Flashbacka dramatic device in which an earlier event is inserted into the normal chronological flow of a narrative
- Flashbacka vivid mental image of a past trauma, especially one that recurs
- Flashbacka similar recurrence of the effects of a hallucinogenic drug
Greek αναδρομή
- αναδρομή (anadromí)a dramatic device in which an earlier event is inserted into the normal chronological flow of a narrative
Icelandic endurupplifun
- endurupplifuna vivid mental image of a past trauma, especially one that recurs
Indonesian kilas balik, sorot balik
- kilas balika dramatic device in which an earlier event is inserted into the normal chronological flow of a narrative
- sorot balika dramatic device in which an earlier event is inserted into the normal chronological flow of a narrative
Japanese フラッシュバック, 回想シーン
- フラッシュバック (furasshubakku)a dramatic device in which an earlier event is inserted into the normal chronological flow of a narrative
- 回想シーン (kaisō shīn)a dramatic device in which an earlier event is inserted into the normal chronological flow of a narrative
Korean 플래시백
- 플래시백 (peullaesibaek)a dramatic device in which an earlier event is inserted into the normal chronological flow of a narrative
Malay imbas kembali
- imbas kembalia dramatic device in which an earlier event is inserted into the normal chronological flow of a narrative
Norwegian Bokmål tilbakeblikk
- tilbakeblikka dramatic device in which an earlier event is inserted into the normal chronological flow of a narrative
Persian فلاشبک
- فلاشبک (flâšbak)a vivid mental image of a past trauma, especially one that recurs
Portuguese flashback
- flashbacka dramatic device in which an earlier event is inserted into the normal chronological flow of a narrative
Russian флэшбэ́к, ретроспекти́ва
- флэшбэ́к (flɛšbɛ́k)a dramatic device in which an earlier event is inserted into the normal chronological flow of a narrative
- ретроспекти́ва (retrospektíva)a dramatic device in which an earlier event is inserted into the normal chronological flow of a narrative
- обра́тный кадр (obrátnyj kadr)a dramatic device in which an earlier event is inserted into the normal chronological flow of a narrative
- ретроспе́кция (retrospékcija)a dramatic device in which an earlier event is inserted into the normal chronological flow of a narrative
- воспомина́ние (vospominánije)a vivid mental image of a past trauma, especially one that recurs
- взгляд в про́шлое (vzgljad v próšloje)a vivid mental image of a past trauma, especially one that recurs
Spanish flashback, escena retrospectiva
- flashbacka dramatic device in which an earlier event is inserted into the normal chronological flow of a narrative
- escena retrospectivaa dramatic device in which an earlier event is inserted into the normal chronological flow of a narrative
Swedish återblick, tillbakablick
- återblicka dramatic device in which an earlier event is inserted into the normal chronological flow of a narrative
- tillbakablicka dramatic device in which an earlier event is inserted into the normal chronological flow of a narrative
- flashbacka dramatic device in which an earlier event is inserted into the normal chronological flow of a narrative
Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
APA
flashback. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/flashback
MLA
“flashback.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/flashback. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “flashback,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/flashback.
Source: flashback on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.