know better

idiom

1

: to be smart or sensible enough not to do something

You walked home alone? Don't you know better (than that)?

She'll know better than to trust them again.

There's no excuse for his behavior. He's old enough to know better.

Don't blame him. He's just a child and he doesn't know (any) better.

2

: to know or understand the truth about something

She tried to tell me that it wasn't her fault, but I know better.

3

: to know or understand more than other people

You can't tell him what to do. He always thinks that he knows better.

Examples of know better in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Anyone who didn’t know better might have thought that Strong was actually the veteran of the pair, unfazed by the fanfare and the promise of a national semifinal matchup with UCLA in Tampa, Fla., on Friday. —Emily Adams, Hartford Courant, 2 Apr. 2025

Players who should know better keep making mistakes, showing the coaches have no positive effect. —Peter Baugh, The Athletic, 10 Mar. 2025

Uncle Fred’s life was pristine, no one else better know better! —Ritesh Mehta, IndieWire, 12 Mar. 2025

Caps fans know better than anyone that regular-season records don’t mean a thing in the playoffs. —Sean McIndoe, The Athletic, 26 Feb. 2025

Rhymes for know better

• abettor
• newsletter
• typesetter
• bettor
• debtor
• fetter
• getter
• letter
• netter
• petar
• petter
• rhetor