Meaning & use
flashback
A scene or memory that interrupts the present narrative to show an earlier event.
See it in a sentence
The film used a sudden flashback to reveal why the detective distrusted his partner.
A vivid flashback to her childhood home brought unexpected tears to her eyes.
A note on using this word
Common in film, fiction, and psychology, where it can also describe an intrusive memory of a traumatic event.
Words with a similar meaning
recollection
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
flash-forward
Make it your own
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