KNEW Synonyms: 68 Similar and Opposite Words

knew

verb

Definition of knew

past tense of know

as in understood

to have a practical understanding of a career diplomat who knows several languages a fan who really knows baseball

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in experienced

to come to a knowledge of (something) by living through it knows full well how nerve-racking it can be to speak in public

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in saw

to have a clear idea of I think I know what you're trying to say

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 knew Just 20% of Gen Z knew their exact interest rate on their credit debt—the lowest of any generation and well below baby boomers. — Joshua Hong, Fortune, 10 Oct. 2026 Omani officials knew of al-Hammami’s interest in radical Islamism but failed to flag their concerns; flydubai never checked his record with the Omani authorities. — The Week Uk, TheWeek, 10 Oct. 2026 Set amid the creative ferment of Paris at a turning point in music and culture, the film traces the bond between two young artists in the years before the world knew their names. — Justin Kroll, Deadline, 9 Oct. 2026 In fact, the very week our paper was accepted, a leading expert gave a lecture stating that everyone knew T cells could not be grown in culture. — Robert C. Gallo, STAT, 9 Oct. 2026 After the first read, Fader immediately knew this was going to be included. — Joseph Hernandez, Kansas City Star, 9 Oct. 2026 In a 2025 Pew survey, 23 percent of LGBTQ adults said none of their parents or the people who raised them knew about their identity. — Literary Hub, 9 Oct. 2026 DuBose previously told the Star-Telegram that coaches knew about brewing tension between Fields and Ezukanma and did nothing to address it. — Jim Barnes, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 Oct. 2026 Sepahi and his bride, student activist Mahshad Keshani, 22, knew and loved each other before being arrested during anti-regime demonstrations, the report said. — Emma Bussey, FOXNews.com, 8 Oct. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for knew

Verb

Amidst all the turmoil, everyone understood that the March 5 election was a make-or-break moment not only for the Hitler chancellorship but for democracy itself.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 9 Oct. 2026
Dave 1 understood the instinct immediately, even when the results took him by surprise.

— Isabela Raygoza, Billboard, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of understood

Verb

In 2025, the first chime of bells from a mountain pavilion at dawn, accompanied by a gentle morning greeting, creates a space where each collection is experienced independently and explores the versatile expressions of Songmont’s design language.

— Footwear News, Footwear News, 6 Oct. 2026
This online abuse and hostility experienced by trans people in the UK is part of a broader picture of the UK becoming a hostile climate for trans people.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of experienced

Verb

My suite was beyond spacious, with a full entryway with desk and wetbar giving way to a seating area; large, plush bed; then a closet and vanity area leading into a massive bathroom—which had a full soaking tub and two pedestal sinks.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
The Boss Bottled Beyond fragrance had an avant-première in travel retail, for example.

— Jennifer Weil, Footwear News, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of had

Verb

Curie's initial Nobel was for physics, but the second, for chemistry in 1911, recognized her work on polonium and the isolation of pure radium.

— Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 7 Oct. 2026
He is recognized as the teen prodigy who went missing a decade prior, and his return as an up-and-coming conductor is heralded.

— Kayti Burt, Time, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of recognized

Verb

The rooms are beautifully laid out and share the peacefulness felt throughout the property.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
Our target consumer is anyone who is tired of endless scrolling, has ever felt that conventional recommendations don’t quite understand them, or finds today’s personalization systems too opaque or even a little creepy.

— Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of felt

Verb

But a more apt comparison might be the Mirabilia Urbis Romae, in which Medieval scholars deciphered the staggering ruins of Classical Rome.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 29 Sep. 2026
Re-creating the Herculaneum scrolls To date, one entire scroll and passages from others have been deciphered, largely thanks to the Vesuvius Challenge, a project launched in 2023 that encourages researchers to decode scrolls for cash prizes.

— Taylor Nicioli, CNN Money, 22 Sep. 2026

Definition of deciphered

Verb

The patient underwent a public health screening at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and was taken by a friend to Nairobi Hospital, where he was isolated and later transferred to the East Wing Isolation Facility.

— ABC News, ABC News, 6 Oct. 2026
Claire underwent radiation and chemotherapy treatments to kill the malignant cells in his body, but the cancer returned again in 2017.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026