HARKENED Synonyms: 12 Similar and Opposite Words

harkened

verb

past tense of harken

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 The feathers harkened back to Paris Couture Week in July 2026, when several high-profile figures like Jennifer Lopez and Emma Corrin embraced feathery embellishments in their respective front-row looks. — Julia Teti, Footwear News, 6 Oct. 2026 Last month, Kylian Mbappé left Nike for challenger brand On, in a move that harkened back to Roger Federer’s 2018 exit. — Madeleine Schulz, Vogue, 1 Oct. 2026 This piece from Josh Johnson about New Jersey councilman and former hitman John Alite harkened back to that format. — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2026 Young has harkened back to the historically bad Tigers team during this run. — Sam Blum, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026 The intimate gathering — a salon of sorts — harkened back to Steinem’s history of organizing women like this. — Adam Carlson, PEOPLE, 3 Sep. 2026 Superintendent Yvonne Stokes said the idea to provide lunches for students, who can’t be in school because of the ongoing power outage, harkened back to the COVID-19 shutdown in 2020. — Carole Carlson, Chicago Tribune, 13 Aug. 2026 Although the look’s pink color is synonymous with Glinda, the gingham harkened back to the blue apron dress that Judy Garland wore as Dorothy Gale in The Wizard of Oz. — Kevin Huynh, InStyle, 31 July 2026 Disney’s 20th Century label harkened back to a beloved tale in which a Devil Wears Prada. — Adam Aron, Variety, 29 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for harkened

Verb

Through a microphone, the journalists listened as Pike spoke what were meant to be her last words—about love—and sang with her Buddhist spiritual adviser.

— Amy Davidson Sorkin, New Yorker, 16 Oct. 2026
Method Man listened to the Wu-Tang Clan’s Once Upon a Time in Shaolin for the first time — and delivered his opinion on the now-infamous, one-copy-only album — on the latest episode of Pablo Torre Finds Out.

— Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of listened

Verb

None of these commitments are new, however, and founders have heard versions of them before.

— Sophie Dembinski, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026
By providing clear, consistent and frequent communication about the change, leaders foster a sense of stability and clarity, while inviting everyone’s voice to be heard.

— Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 16 Oct. 2026