# flash back

CEFR B2 · Phrasal verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/flash-back
Updated: 2026-10-22

## Definition

to suddenly remember a past event very clearly. You use this when a memory comes into your mind like a quick picture.

For teachers: to experience a sudden, vivid mental image of a past event. It is also used as a narrative device to shift the story to an earlier time.

## Examples

- I often flash back to my happy childhood summers.
- While walking through the old park, he started to flash back to the day he first met his wife.
- The protagonist begins to flash back to her traumatic experiences in the war, blurring the lines between her current reality and her fractured memories.

## Pitfalls

- Not "I flashed back the accident." but "I flashed back to the accident." — The verb is intransitive and requires the preposition 'to' before the object of the memory.

## Usage notes

- Usually followed by the preposition 'to' when naming the specific memory or time.
- Teaching tip: Contrast with 'reminisce', which is usually a pleasant and intentional act, whereas 'flash back' often feels sudden or involuntary.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.