harken

as in to listen
to pay attention especially through the act of hearing young people would do well to read this wise and witty book and harken to its message

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 harken This piece from Josh Johnson about New Jersey councilman and former hitman John Alite harkened back to that format. — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2026 His idiosyncratic movement style combines classical ballet, modern dance and emphatic physical theater, harkening back to his early training in Chicago with Sybil Shearer. — Lauren Warnecke, Chicago Tribune, 18 Sep. 2026 Conceptually, Zero Zero’s sauces each pay homage to a specific region in Italy, harkening upon Midwestern offerings and Italian inspiration. — Kansas City Star, 17 Sep. 2026 Young has harkened back to the historically bad Tigers team during this run. — Sam Blum, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for harken
Recent Examples of Synonyms for harken
Verb
  • Yet their willingness to talk, listen, and imagine what had seemed impossible helped lay the groundwork for historic nuclear arms reductions.
    — Halla Tómasdóttir, Time, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The poetry world in the city is multifarious and energetic, with waves of practitioners reading, listening to, and publishing one another.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • From the moment Errol Holden’s raps entered the public sphere in the early 2020s, listening to them has felt like hearing a stranger on the street earnestly tell you how the city has changed.
    — Matthew Ritchie, Pitchfork, 15 Oct. 2026
  • The ban remains in force, with the Supreme Court scheduled to hear a further appeal early next month.
    — Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 15 Oct. 2026

Cite this Entry

“Harken.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/harken. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!