1. sudden vivid memories of past events, especially traumatic ones
Usage: psychology
2. scenes in a movie, book, or play that show events from an earlier time
Usage: literature; film

Examples

• The veteran experienced flashbacks of the battle.
• She had flashbacks to her childhood whenever she smelled cookies baking.
• The movie used flashbacks to explain the character’s motivation.
• The novel’s flashbacks revealed the mystery gradually.
• His flashbacks made it difficult to concentrate on work.
• The therapist helped her cope with traumatic flashbacks.
• The story was told through a series of flashbacks.