as in listening
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 harkening
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
But, harkening to the indie roots of the filmmakers, there is a creative spin to the proceedings.
—Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 6 May 2026
The Rancho Days Fiesta at Heritage Hill Historical Park on May 2 will feature a variety of activities harkening back to the area’s early residents, including Native American and Folklorico dancing, charro horse riding and roping demonstrations.
—Heather McRea, Oc Register, 29 Apr. 2026
To commemorate the spirit of this history, Nugget is doing monthly giveaways, harkening back to these gimmicks.
—Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 15 Apr. 2026
This is a different shade of minimalism for Marci, harkening to the gutter ’90s-era beatmaking represented by the dingy floppy disk on the album cover.
—Dylan Green, Pitchfork, 28 Jan. 2026
On Thursday, Amazon MGM unveiled a first look at Turner in character as Croft, with the new interpretation of the heroine harkening back to the gaming icon's look from the earlier video games released in the mid-late '90s.
—Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 15 Jan. 2026
But launching it in its app first empowers the most customers, said Mike Aragon, president of Ford’s Integrated Services software business, harkening to Ford’s history with the Model T that first made the automobile accessible to the masses.
—Breana Noble, Chicago Tribune, 8 Jan. 2026
The storytelling is thematically and formally rich, harkening back to the scrappy ethos of early public radio; the topics can be personal, philosophical, and even esoteric.
—Benjamin Cannon, The Atlantic, 23 Dec. 2025
Larry Kaplow, NPR, 9 May 2026
But, harkening to the indie roots of the filmmakers, there is a creative spin to the proceedings.
—Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 6 May 2026
The Rancho Days Fiesta at Heritage Hill Historical Park on May 2 will feature a variety of activities harkening back to the area’s early residents, including Native American and Folklorico dancing, charro horse riding and roping demonstrations.
—Heather McRea, Oc Register, 29 Apr. 2026
To commemorate the spirit of this history, Nugget is doing monthly giveaways, harkening back to these gimmicks.
—Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 15 Apr. 2026
This is a different shade of minimalism for Marci, harkening to the gutter ’90s-era beatmaking represented by the dingy floppy disk on the album cover.
—Dylan Green, Pitchfork, 28 Jan. 2026
On Thursday, Amazon MGM unveiled a first look at Turner in character as Croft, with the new interpretation of the heroine harkening back to the gaming icon's look from the earlier video games released in the mid-late '90s.
—Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 15 Jan. 2026
But launching it in its app first empowers the most customers, said Mike Aragon, president of Ford’s Integrated Services software business, harkening to Ford’s history with the Model T that first made the automobile accessible to the masses.
—Breana Noble, Chicago Tribune, 8 Jan. 2026
The storytelling is thematically and formally rich, harkening back to the scrappy ethos of early public radio; the topics can be personal, philosophical, and even esoteric.
—Benjamin Cannon, The Atlantic, 23 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for harkening
Verb
-
Sashko had his earbuds in and was listening to music.—
James Verini,
The Atlantic,
12 May 2026
-
After the Lakers dropped a 125-107 decision, James and his teammates were standing near midcourt, listening intently as Austin Reaves demonstratively spoke to referees.—
Jason Jones,
New York Times,
12 May 2026
Verb
-
For years now, womenswear designers have been delivering us long, thin (and often useless) scarves—harking all the way back to early-aughts Chloé and Marc Jacobs days, when boho-chic ruled the runways.—
Christian Allaire,
Vogue,
19 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Harkening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/harkening. Accessed 19 May. 2026.
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