as in to listen
to pay attention especially through the act of hearing
young people would do well to read this wise and witty book and harken to its message
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Recent Examples of harken
Blissfully bare, the beaches on Anegada's north shore harken back to the Caribbean of old, with untouched white sands and azure waves.
—
Carley Rojas Avila, Travel + Leisure, 9 Apr. 2026
The Padres’ return to navy (or obsidian) harkens back to the alternate jerseys that the club wore throughout its run to the 1998 World Series.
—Ryan Finley, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Apr. 2026
This practice harkens back to a time when people had to get their news by listening to the radio.
—Ticked Off, The Orlando Sentinel, 4 Apr. 2026
The black jerseys that were the team’s primary home look have been replaced by red tops that harken back to the team’s pre-1990 look and will now be the primary home jersey.
—Josh Kendall, New York Times, 2 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for harken
Carley Rojas Avila, Travel + Leisure, 9 Apr. 2026
The Padres’ return to navy (or obsidian) harkens back to the alternate jerseys that the club wore throughout its run to the 1998 World Series.
—Ryan Finley, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Apr. 2026
This practice harkens back to a time when people had to get their news by listening to the radio.
—Ticked Off, The Orlando Sentinel, 4 Apr. 2026
The black jerseys that were the team’s primary home look have been replaced by red tops that harken back to the team’s pre-1990 look and will now be the primary home jersey.
—Josh Kendall, New York Times, 2 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for harken
Recent Examples of Synonyms for harken
Verb
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June 21 – July 22 Your words have impact today, and people are ready to listen.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
26 Apr. 2026
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Devastated, Sam vowed to never listen to Mary’s music or think about her again.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Behind the table was an orchestra, barely playing loud enough to hear.—
Rebecca Morin,
USA Today,
26 Apr. 2026
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Guests went diving under tables as the scene unfolded and some reported hearing shots outside the vast subterranean ballroom in the Washington Hilton where the event was being held.—
Collin Binkley,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Harken.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/harken. Accessed 30 Apr. 2026.
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