as in listened
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of harkened
The show, meanwhile, harkened back to eras gone by, featuring burlesque, showgirl outfits, an homage to West Side Story and references to past Las Vegas royalty, including The Rat Pack and Elvis Presley.
—
Skyler Caruso, PEOPLE, 12 Jan. 2026
The casting of new pro Jan Ravnik for the recent season 34 occasioned a classic Maks-ism that harkened back to his time on the show.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Dec. 2025
The embellishments on Parker’s jacket harkened back to the shimmering pumps the actress wore for the 2025 Booker Prize ceremony in London on Sunday.
—Julia Teti, Footwear News, 11 Nov. 2025
Instead, the Chargers wore a much more attractive set of all-navy jerseys and pants that harkened back to the San Diego Super Chargers Era.
—Elliott Teaford, Oc Register, 24 Oct. 2025
Wilson is building a collection of these plays in her eight-year career, but this one harkened back to another turnaround jumper from the left side of the floor that put shorthanded Las Vegas up six against the New York Liberty in Game 4 of the 2023 WNBA Finals.
—Sabreena Merchant, New York Times, 9 Oct. 2025
With a single-player campaign set in the Nineties, the game’s story had a deliriously fun espionage hook that harkened back to the series’ heyday of the original Modern Warfare trilogy and early Black Ops titles.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 7 Oct. 2025
In conversation with Patel, Farley harkened back to this legacy and argued that the early 21st century isn’t so different from the early 20th, and that America is facing a very big choice.
—Dave Smith, Fortune, 3 Oct. 2025
Sypher, now the organization's vice president of field operations, harkened back to the days of budget airline flights and walking through the basement of the Chicago O’Hare airport to meet Turning Point's leader.
—Helen Rummel, AZCentral.com, 17 Sep. 2025
Skyler Caruso, PEOPLE, 12 Jan. 2026
The casting of new pro Jan Ravnik for the recent season 34 occasioned a classic Maks-ism that harkened back to his time on the show.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Dec. 2025
The embellishments on Parker’s jacket harkened back to the shimmering pumps the actress wore for the 2025 Booker Prize ceremony in London on Sunday.
—Julia Teti, Footwear News, 11 Nov. 2025
Instead, the Chargers wore a much more attractive set of all-navy jerseys and pants that harkened back to the San Diego Super Chargers Era.
—Elliott Teaford, Oc Register, 24 Oct. 2025
Wilson is building a collection of these plays in her eight-year career, but this one harkened back to another turnaround jumper from the left side of the floor that put shorthanded Las Vegas up six against the New York Liberty in Game 4 of the 2023 WNBA Finals.
—Sabreena Merchant, New York Times, 9 Oct. 2025
With a single-player campaign set in the Nineties, the game’s story had a deliriously fun espionage hook that harkened back to the series’ heyday of the original Modern Warfare trilogy and early Black Ops titles.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 7 Oct. 2025
In conversation with Patel, Farley harkened back to this legacy and argued that the early 21st century isn’t so different from the early 20th, and that America is facing a very big choice.
—Dave Smith, Fortune, 3 Oct. 2025
Sypher, now the organization's vice president of field operations, harkened back to the days of budget airline flights and walking through the basement of the Chicago O’Hare airport to meet Turning Point's leader.
—Helen Rummel, AZCentral.com, 17 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for harkened
Verb
-
The courtroom listened to her 911 call from the day of the shooting.—
Amelia Mugavero,
CBS News,
8 Jan. 2026
-
On Wednesday, 3rd Judicial District Judge Thomas Whitney listened as both sides presented their rivaling requests for incarceration terms.—
Alex Brizee,
Idaho Statesman,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Thousands of people have peacefully made their voices heard.—
Emily Shapiro,
ABC News,
9 Jan. 2026
-
The Senate Education heard testimony on the bill, indicating lawmakers are serious about the proposal, but the committee has not yet taken a vote.—
Marissa Meador,
IndyStar,
9 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Harkened.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/harkened. Accessed 23 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
