as in intentionally
with full awareness of what one is doing
cannot convict unless the defendant knowingly committed perjury
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Recent Examples of knowingly
The judge said Johnson knowingly left her children in unsafe conditions and accused her of showing disregard for their basic needs.
—
Hannah McIlree, CBS News, 14 Apr. 2026
Even so, its latest report, out today, finds that CEOs face a growing credibility problem, with an 11-point rise since 2021 in the share of people who worry that business leaders knowingly mislead the public.
—Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, semafor.com, 13 Apr. 2026
Both have also been charged with several other felony charges, including child neglect with great bodily harm, tampering with physical evidence, failure to report death to a medical examiner, and knowingly providing false information to law enforcement during investigation.
—Bailey Richards, PEOPLE, 12 Apr. 2026
The person throwing the bowling ball might not have intended a specific victim to be killed, or even knowingly planned to kill someone, but nonetheless did something that was obviously likely to cause serious harm.
—Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 11 Apr. 2026
The ordinance also says parents may not authorize or knowingly permit their children to violate the rules.
—Kendrick Calfee
updated April 10, Kansas City Star, 10 Apr. 2026
Given that Trump never knowingly engages in understatement, this is a rare example of verbal deflation.
—Fintan O’Toole, The New York Review of Books, 9 Apr. 2026
In court, Abbott representative Robyn Spilker testified that metabolic acidosis can be a very serious condition and that nobody should knowingly put kids at risk for getting NEC in an effort to make money.
—David Hilzenrath, Miami Herald, 9 Apr. 2026
In her plea agreement, Sangha admitted to knowingly distributing ketamine to Perry, whose struggles with drug addiction and numerous rehab visits were well documented.
—Brittny Mejia, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2026
Hannah McIlree, CBS News, 14 Apr. 2026
Even so, its latest report, out today, finds that CEOs face a growing credibility problem, with an 11-point rise since 2021 in the share of people who worry that business leaders knowingly mislead the public.
—Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, semafor.com, 13 Apr. 2026
Both have also been charged with several other felony charges, including child neglect with great bodily harm, tampering with physical evidence, failure to report death to a medical examiner, and knowingly providing false information to law enforcement during investigation.
—Bailey Richards, PEOPLE, 12 Apr. 2026
The person throwing the bowling ball might not have intended a specific victim to be killed, or even knowingly planned to kill someone, but nonetheless did something that was obviously likely to cause serious harm.
—Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 11 Apr. 2026
The ordinance also says parents may not authorize or knowingly permit their children to violate the rules.
—Kendrick Calfee
updated April 10, Kansas City Star, 10 Apr. 2026
Given that Trump never knowingly engages in understatement, this is a rare example of verbal deflation.
—Fintan O’Toole, The New York Review of Books, 9 Apr. 2026
In court, Abbott representative Robyn Spilker testified that metabolic acidosis can be a very serious condition and that nobody should knowingly put kids at risk for getting NEC in an effort to make money.
—David Hilzenrath, Miami Herald, 9 Apr. 2026
In her plea agreement, Sangha admitted to knowingly distributing ketamine to Perry, whose struggles with drug addiction and numerous rehab visits were well documented.
—Brittny Mejia, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for knowingly
Adverb
-
The college’s leaders intentionally decided not to open a dining hall, so that the students would learn to cook and host others in their home.—
Emma Green,
New Yorker,
17 Apr. 2026
-
The real question is whether the system will build around that reality intentionally.—
Jeremy Morgan,
Fortune,
16 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
Elmore added that Pause AI deliberately vets volunteers and keeps tight control over its messaging to avoid being associated with extreme views.—
Sharon Goldman,
Fortune,
15 Apr. 2026
-
Tonya Drew, a stay-at-home mother of 10 in Tempe, has spent years deliberately avoiding Amazon.—
Rey Covarrubias Jr,
USA Today,
15 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
One of her neighbors, a county official, claimed Bench had purposely made a wide turn and nearly hit him with her car.—
Ryan J. Foley,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Apr. 2026
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The situation has caused a pile-on of speculation and allegations—including from some of its competitors—that the company is purposely degrading performance owing to a lack of compute capacity.—
Beatrice Nolan,
Fortune,
14 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Knowingly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/knowingly. Accessed 22 Apr. 2026.
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