1
as in aware
having inside information
exchanged a knowing look with her business partner during the sales presentation
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in smart
having or showing a practical cleverness or judgment
knowing movie producers do not invest their own money in their risky ventures
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in conscious
made, given, or done with full awareness of what one is doing
a knowing waiver of his rights
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in considered
decided on as a result of careful thought
with knowing equivocation, the witness responded to the question without really answering it
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in understanding
to have a practical understanding of
a career diplomat who knows several languages a fan who really knows baseball
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in experiencing
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
3
as in seeing
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 knowing
Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 21 May 2026
Game knowing game, the feisty Roberts likened Preller’s Padres to savvy street fighters in ’24, saying his team would have to match San Diego’s fire.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 May 2026
Guy Lodge, Variety, 2 June 2026
The key is knowing how to make your exit with grace.
—Jamie Cuccinelli, Martha Stewart, 2 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for knowing
Adjective
The film lures us into a mystery that’s a knowing gloss on all those old detective movies, as Joe is hired by Sharon Cobbs (Vicky Krieps), a platinum-blonde femme fatale whose older tycoon husband was just murdered.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 21 May 2026
Game knowing game, the feisty Roberts likened Preller’s Padres to savvy street fighters in ’24, saying his team would have to match San Diego’s fire.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 May 2026
Verb
The green-screen effects are knowing in their outright fakery; the nerdiness of the whole enterprise is lampshaded with a whole setpiece in a comic-book store.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 2 June 2026
The key is knowing how to make your exit with grace.
—Jamie Cuccinelli, Martha Stewart, 2 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for knowing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for knowing
Adjective
-
The backstory You can’t just open a world-class hotel in Paris—and perhaps no one is more aware of that fact than Silvio Ursini, the executive vice president of Bulgari Hotels and Resorts, who described a more than decade-long process of finding and selecting the perfect site for the hotel.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
4 June 2026
-
Maggie is aware that her hometown isn’t a destination.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 June 2026
Adjective
-
Lane pointed to Adams State’s direct admissions program as a smart intervention that attracts students who might have otherwise overlooked college.—
Elizabeth Hernandez,
Denver Post,
31 May 2026
-
The next generation of commerce may not belong solely to the smartest AI models, but to the companies who are most capable of balancing complexity on the business side, while delivering trust and simplicity on the consumer side.—
Jacques Ledbetter,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2026
Adjective
-
The supply and demand parameters have to be adjusted to a conscious mean.—
Mercury News Editorial Board,
Mercury News,
29 May 2026
-
Retailers must now react quickly to cost-conscious shoppers and invest in technology to prepare for a new reality where the line between politics and retail is becoming increasingly blurred, Minkow said.—
Elsa Ohlen,
CNBC,
29 May 2026
Adjective
-
All of this was a considered response to European systems within which a tiny plutocracy had built power and control over land and people, especially through familial inheritance.—
Tyler Green,
The Atlantic,
21 May 2026
-
Elizabeth honed in on the importance of the transatlantic alliance during a considered address that came in under 15 minutes.—
Tiago Ventura,
Time,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Wanting to move forward is natural, but part of being in a relationship with a parent is understanding that children set the timeline, not the adults’ feelings.—
Jann Blackstone,
Boston Herald,
31 May 2026
-
The original Luddites are worth understanding correctly before invoking them.—
Alexander Puutio,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2026
Verb
-
In this volume are all the wild, enthused lines, stoked for life’s daily mysteries, and all the tender elevations that we have been used to experiencing in the poetry of Eileen Myles!—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
1 June 2026
-
Seoul felt different because the people the technology was designed to serve were in the room experiencing it firsthand.—
Bill Schiffmiller,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2026
Verb
-
Both teams are looking for a healthy seven-game series, but the Knicks seeing their best scorer heading off the court early isn't the way the Eastern Conference champions wanted to kick off their first trip to the NBA Finals since 1999 against these same Spurs.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
4 June 2026
-
What stayed with me most was seeing how much children respond to even the smallest acts of kindness.—
Brittany Talarico,
PEOPLE,
3 June 2026
Adjective
-
Here are the biggest ways eclipse travelers could accidentally miss the spectacle — and how experienced eclipse chasers will plan to avoid disappointment.—
Jamie Carter,
Space.com,
3 June 2026
-
For this particular yacht, the experienced owner mixed and matched from different palettes to create a unique interior with an emphasis on natural tones such as beige, earth, and cream.—
Rachel Cormack,
Robb Report,
3 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Knowing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/knowing. Accessed 4 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
