as in listens
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 harkens
That’s where the FIFA Fan Festival entrance will be through a 65-foot heart structure, which at once signals a welcoming message to visitors from 125 countries registered to attend and harkens to the city’s self-image as the Heart of America.
—
Kansas City Star, 28 May 2026
For ArtPhilly, Pepperpot, harkens back to the America of 250 years ago, anchoring the existence of African American women and culture within Philadelphia’s historic marketplaces.
—Chadd Scott, Forbes.com, 26 May 2026
Yet, intriguingly, there’s also been scattered rumors about how his unconventional campaign can be turned into TV content that harkens back to his MTV days.
—Gary Baum, HollywoodReporter, 15 May 2026
The feature harkens back to old-school messaging apps like MSM Messenger, where users could use a select number of characters to share a quick status update.
—Greta Cross, USA Today, 13 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
Since this show premiered, people have been saying that the Real Housewives of Rhode Island harkens back to the days of classic Housewives — largely because of the cast’s organic ties and willingness to let their guards down on camera.
—Tom Smyth, Vulture, 27 Apr. 2026
Kansas City Star, 28 May 2026
For ArtPhilly, Pepperpot, harkens back to the America of 250 years ago, anchoring the existence of African American women and culture within Philadelphia’s historic marketplaces.
—Chadd Scott, Forbes.com, 26 May 2026
Yet, intriguingly, there’s also been scattered rumors about how his unconventional campaign can be turned into TV content that harkens back to his MTV days.
—Gary Baum, HollywoodReporter, 15 May 2026
The feature harkens back to old-school messaging apps like MSM Messenger, where users could use a select number of characters to share a quick status update.
—Greta Cross, USA Today, 13 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
Since this show premiered, people have been saying that the Real Housewives of Rhode Island harkens back to the days of classic Housewives — largely because of the cast’s organic ties and willingness to let their guards down on camera.
—Tom Smyth, Vulture, 27 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for harkens
Verb
-
Andreeva listens and nods, then returns to self-hate too often.—
Matthew Futterman,
New York Times,
2 June 2026
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This hour-long television documentary was based on a long interview from 1960 with French journalist Georges Belmont, in which Catherine Deneuve listens to the interview and responds.—
Pat Saperstein,
Variety,
1 June 2026
Verb
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Their joint venture launched March 5, with a lightweight low-runner shape that harks on the core principles of minimalism, something both brands have long championed.—
Kristina Rutkowski,
Vogue,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Yenson reminds readers that the pope’s choice of name hearkens to Pope Leo XIII, who initiated modern Catholic social teaching and emphasized peace and justice.—
Kalpana Jain,
The Conversation,
13 Apr. 2026
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Flip Phone Shorty, of course, hearkens to those devices of yesteryear that defined the Y2k aesthetic, which has recently been all the rage.—
Jeff Ihaza,
Rolling Stone,
7 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Harkens.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/harkens. Accessed 9 Jun. 2026.
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