noun

flashback

/ˈflæʃbæk/ · say it: FLASH·bak

a scene set earlier than the main story

In Literary English

In more detail

1. (noun) a sudden memory of a past event that interrupts the present moment

2. (noun) a scene in a film, book, or story that shows events from an earlier time

Examples

1. She had a flashback to the accident every time she heard a loud noise.
2. The movie uses flashbacks to show what happened before the main story.

How to use flashback

Flashback refers to either a psychological phenomenon where someone involuntarily recalls past events (common in trauma narratives), or a narrative technique in storytelling where the chronological sequence is interrupted to show earlier events. In psychology contexts, it often implies distressing or intrusive memories, while in literary or film contexts it is a neutral structural device. The term is less formal than reminiscence and more specific than memory.

Common phrases

have a flashback
trigger a flashback
suffer a flashback
vivid flashback
painful flashback
flashback scene

Synonyms

reminiscence · memory · recollection · regression · throwback

Word family

flash back (verb phrase)

A common mistake

Learners sometimes use flashback as a verb in standard forms (flashbacked, flashbacking) when the phrasal verb form 'flash back' is more natural: 'She flashed back to her childhood' rather than 'She flashbacked.'

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