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
Civil rights activists and Democratic lawmakers have said the redistricting dilutes the voting power of Black voters, harkening back to the south's history before the movement for civil rights.
—
Larry Kaplow, NPR, 9 May 2026
The vibe is decidedly casual, refreshing for a beach town that has been increasingly buzzy as of late—Marram harkens to a time when surfers and artists outnumbered the beach party crowds.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 May 2026
Democrats denounced the legislation as a Republican power grab that harkens back to the state’s shameful history of denying Black residents equal rights and representation.
—Jeffrey Collins, Los Angeles Times, 6 May 2026
Although that is a powerful place to start, what this moment calls for is beyond any professional practice, and broadly harkens back to the precautionary principle.
—Literary Hub, 6 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for harken
Larry Kaplow, NPR, 9 May 2026
The vibe is decidedly casual, refreshing for a beach town that has been increasingly buzzy as of late—Marram harkens to a time when surfers and artists outnumbered the beach party crowds.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 May 2026
Democrats denounced the legislation as a Republican power grab that harkens back to the state’s shameful history of denying Black residents equal rights and representation.
—Jeffrey Collins, Los Angeles Times, 6 May 2026
Although that is a powerful place to start, what this moment calls for is beyond any professional practice, and broadly harkens back to the precautionary principle.
—Literary Hub, 6 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for harken
Recent Examples of Synonyms for harken
Verb
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Riley was equally at ease when talking with the dentist, listening patiently as the man described his fancy new house in a gentrified area.—
Emily Nussbaum,
New Yorker,
17 May 2026
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Others, like Eric and Lisa Keiser, from Waterford, Pennsylvania, listened from outside the adjacent National Museum of Natural History, where the speeches and music still carried through the crowd as people milled around the Mall enjoying the day’s festivities.—
Phaedra Trethan,
USA Today,
17 May 2026
Verb
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Language access, cultural competency and workforce representation all play critical role in helping people feel respected, heard and supported throughout the healing journey.—
Maria Bledsoe,
The Orlando Sentinel,
17 May 2026
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The idea of a faraway place came up, which everybody has heard about but not been to yet.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
16 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Harken.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/harken. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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