know-it-all

noun

Synonyms of know-it-allnext
: one who claims to know everything
also : one who disdains advice
know-it-all adjective

Examples of know-it-all in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
This is not a home for doomers, cynics, or know-it-alls. Daphne Koller, Big Think, 29 Jan. 2026 After playing the conservative son of former-hippie parents on Family Ties, then a know-it-all political strategist on Spin City, Fox returns to his TV roots in Shrinking, which last year earned Ford the first Emmy nomination of his career. Savannah Walsh, Vanity Fair, 27 Jan. 2026 Those med students, cocky know-it-all Ogilvy (Lucas Iverson) and acerbic, perceptive Joy (Irene Choi), are drops in a flood of new faces that mark one of the few ways a show set in a single place can meaningfully scale up. Alison Herman, Variety, 5 Jan. 2026 Normally, know-it-alls are kind of annoying. Marci Robin, Allure, 19 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for know-it-all

Word History

First Known Use

1873, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of know-it-all was in 1873

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Know-it-all.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/know-it-all. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.

Kids Definition

know-it-all

noun
ˈnō-ət-ˌȯl
: a person who always claims to know everything

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