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 As the commission moved toward a vote on the plan, there was a certain resignation among the ballroom skeptics, who knew that they were outnumbered. — Antonia Hitchens, New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2026 His team-mates and Cisse were among those who knew what happened, while the club tried to help him. — Guillermo Rai, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026 Keen later told the relative that police knew about the new vehicle and were actively tracking it, records say, as well as running the relative’s name through a police search tool to identify any active warrants. — Josh Wood, Louisville Courier Journal, 3 Sep. 2026 Jelly Roll took a gamble with his fan base – and John Rich said the country star knew exactly what was at stake. — Lauryn Overhultz, FOXNews.com, 3 Sep. 2026 At this time last season, who knew what an amazing start to the season was coming? — Ajc Sports, AJC.com, 2 Sep. 2026 The grand jury said then-state Attorney General Ashley Moody’s office knew of the plans to divert the money. — Jim Vertuno, Fortune, 28 Aug. 2026 In April, the city shared the findings of a traffic study that revealed what many residents and community leaders in the Hemphill corridor’s neighborhoods knew to be true. — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 Aug. 2026 His daughter Angela West said farming had been part of her father’s life long before Kansas City knew his nickname. — Kansas City Star, 28 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for knew

Verb

But González understood the system better than all those people.

— Jesús Rodríguez, New Yorker, 6 Sep. 2026
Still, the 2021 GAO investigation found that the protections were unevenly understood and applied.

— María Luisa Paúl, USA Today, 6 Sep. 2026

Definition of understood

Verb

An Alabama woman accused of causing a deadly crash while driving a school bus experienced a medical crisis during the accident, her supporters reportedly said.

— Louis Casiano, FOXNews.com, 7 Sep. 2026
The Chicago area experienced heavy rains and high heat this summer, conditions experts and community members believe are contributing to higher-than-usual mosquito activity.

— Elena Tittel, Chicago Tribune, 6 Sep. 2026

Definition of experienced

Verb

The Royals had the tying run at the plate with no outs in the bottom of the inning.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 8 Sep. 2026
The hierarchy have applied a couple of touch-ups here and there, adding Germany full-back Nathaniel Brown and Ismael Saibari, who had an impressive World Cup up front for Morocco, but this is a near-complete team.

— James Horncastle, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of had

Verb

The Georgia international cutting in off the left to curl the ball into the far corner has been a trademark in European football since his 2022 move to Napoli, but the ball in behind being played by his opposite winger, Desire Doue, felt different.

— Art de Roché, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
The impact felt by Muslim Americans and others has been part of what Vida Lashgari has learned about the attacks that took place a few years before she was born.

— Deepti Hajela, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of felt

Verb

Uncertainty notwithstanding, the longevity world has glommed onto the notion that the vaginal microbiome is some kind of exotic tealeaf that can be deciphered—and perfected by purchasing the right supplements.

— Sarah DiGregorio, Vanity Fair, 27 July 2026
Its successor script, Linea B, was also a mystery until it was deciphered in 1952 by an amateur linguist and cryptographer Michael Ventris with the help of classicist John Chadwick, both building on patterns in the script first identified by classicist Alice Kober.

— Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 23 June 2026

Definition of deciphered

Verb

Russians also have embraced the Pattaya vibe Pattaya underwent another evolution in the 1990s, with a new wave of tourists coming from what had been the Soviet Union, after communism there collapsed in late 1991.

— Grant Peck, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026
Pattaya underwent another evolution in the 1990s, with a new wave of tourists coming from what had been the Soviet Union, after communism there collapsed in late 1991.

— ABC News, ABC News, 2 Sep. 2026