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
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Recent Examples of harkened
Kate Middleton harkened back to the 1960s with a vintage coat during a visit to Wales on Tuesday.
—
Julia Teti, Footwear News, 3 Feb. 2026
Freelancer, however, harkened back to the open concept introduced by Elite, giving players 48 star systems to explore and the freedom to pursue their own destiny as traders, miners, or bounty hunters.
—Alan Bradley, Space.com, 31 Jan. 2026
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 change harkened back to the format of Fun Fun Fun Fest, bringing back a centralized independent festival experience to the Austin music community.
—Mars Salazar, Austin American Statesman, 18 Dec. 2025
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
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
Julia Teti, Footwear News, 3 Feb. 2026
Freelancer, however, harkened back to the open concept introduced by Elite, giving players 48 star systems to explore and the freedom to pursue their own destiny as traders, miners, or bounty hunters.
—Alan Bradley, Space.com, 31 Jan. 2026
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 change harkened back to the format of Fun Fun Fun Fest, bringing back a centralized independent festival experience to the Austin music community.
—Mars Salazar, Austin American Statesman, 18 Dec. 2025
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for harkened
Verb
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The alternative to appreciating the fact that one of the most listened-to artists on the planet is also a breathtaking showman with an altruistic heart is pretending that Kid Rock had the more impactful evening.—
Craig Jenkins,
Vulture,
9 Feb. 2026
-
The Duke, who was widowed two years ago, listened, visibly moved.—
Rebecca Mead,
New Yorker,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
She's also heard praise from her mom.—
Amanda Hancock,
Louisville Courier Journal,
10 Feb. 2026
-
At one point, a song disparaging Noem and serving as an anti-ICE anthem that’s been widely circulated on social media could be heard coming from a crowd gathered outside the stadium.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Harkened.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/harkened. Accessed 13 Feb. 2026.
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