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 His daughter, Rashan Ali, said many people knew her father through football, but his influence extended well beyond the field. — Jamal Goss, CBS News, 18 Sep. 2026 Phillip and Makenzie choreographed the sequence using yarn so the dancers knew where each laser would be. — Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 18 Sep. 2026 Diana, who knew the revelation was coming, chose to wear the figure-hugging, off-the-shoulder silk dress by Greek designer Christina Stambolian for a gala at London’s Serpentine Gallery. — ABC News, 18 Sep. 2026 The response indicates that an executive knew of a technical method to circumvent a publisher’s access restriction and employed it at the company. — Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 18 Sep. 2026 Someone in the audience who knew the legendary creator told him about this, and weeks later the duo met him in person and discovered that the admiration was mutual. — Natalia Cano, Billboard, 18 Sep. 2026 OutKick knew about it — was Seth Markman, one of Clark’s allies. — Bobby Burack Outkick, FOXNews.com, 18 Sep. 2026 Adam knew this opportunity was too good to miss from the moment KU announced the game. — Taylor Eldridge, Kansas City Star, 18 Sep. 2026 Our Jewish community lost an ally and someone who knew exactly how to show up. — Anna Lazarus Caplan, PEOPLE, 18 Sep. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for knew

Verb

Being understood may feel surprisingly different from being agreed with, and possibly much more useful.

— Tarot.com, Chicago Tribune, 19 Sep. 2026
But board books are understood more clearly to be for a younger audience, often one that can’t read themselves.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of understood

Verb

But today, as the Star Trek franchise celebrates its 60th anniversary, Navia finds opportunities to celebrate the legacy of her love and connect with Trek’s devoted fans who have experienced their own powerful grieving journeys.

— Scott Huver, PEOPLE, 21 Sep. 2026
New York City had experienced four days of near-record rainfall, leaving both the field and the fans soggy, with many expecting that Thursday’s game would be postponed or canceled.

— Michele Metych Britannica Editors Sep. 21, Encyclopedia Britannica, 21 Sep. 2026

Definition of experienced

Verb

Those who arrived in the 1900s had very different cultural, political, and religious backgrounds from the older Texas Jews.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 Sep. 2026
In past crises, these mediators had little of their own physical infrastructure or revenue on the line.

— Lauren Morganbesser, semafor.com, 22 Sep. 2026

Definition of had

Verb

The farm provided the courts and CFIA with nothing that either institution recognized as serious science.

— J. B. MacKinnon, Harpers Magazine, 22 Sep. 2026
From fashion and design to food and manufacturing, Italian excellence is recognized and admired all over the world.

— Martino Carrera, Footwear News, 21 Sep. 2026

Definition of recognized

Verb

El Nino's impact will be felt differently across regions, but it is expected to jeopardize food security worldwide.

— EDNA TARIGAN, Arkansas Online, 23 Sep. 2026
Neither home nor sacred space, to her the building felt stuck between states, stubbornly shaking its head.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 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

The hotel underwent a $75 million renovation in 2015, which added a cinema, cigar room, kids’ playroom, billiard room, and wine cellars to the already-luxurious 82-room property.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Sep. 2026
Users of classical psychedelics who underwent a major trip on the Fourth of July expressed reduced support for partisan political violence, whereas tripping around the time of the Democratic and Republican conventions increased it.

— J. B. MacKinnon, Harpers Magazine, 22 Sep. 2026