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
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Recent Examples of harken
In the Shiite Muslim faith, a martyr is the highest expression of honor — harkening back to the beginnings of Shiite Islam with the 7th century killing of Imam Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet Mohammad, in Karbala in what is now Iraq.
—
Jane Arraf, NPR, 23 Feb. 2025
Each event is a freak accident that harkens to Final Destination-level hijinks but aims for more black comedy.
—Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 22 Feb. 2025
The Cubs are favored again, harkening back to the days when Anthony Rizzo and Kris Bryant were the stars and Joe Maddon held court with the media like a late-night talk-show host.
—Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 14 Feb. 2025
Try the North Carolina flounder — the secret to its hearty crunch is nama panko, which stays crispy to lock in flavor — with a simple green salad with zingy ginger dressing, rice topped with a smattering of furikake and even a dollop of potato salad, harkening back to Perry’s Southern roots.
—Jenny Hartley, Charlotte Observer, 11 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for harken
Jane Arraf, NPR, 23 Feb. 2025
Each event is a freak accident that harkens to Final Destination-level hijinks but aims for more black comedy.
—Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 22 Feb. 2025
The Cubs are favored again, harkening back to the days when Anthony Rizzo and Kris Bryant were the stars and Joe Maddon held court with the media like a late-night talk-show host.
—Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 14 Feb. 2025
Try the North Carolina flounder — the secret to its hearty crunch is nama panko, which stays crispy to lock in flavor — with a simple green salad with zingy ginger dressing, rice topped with a smattering of furikake and even a dollop of potato salad, harkening back to Perry’s Southern roots.
—Jenny Hartley, Charlotte Observer, 11 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for harken
Recent Examples of Synonyms for harken
Verb
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Some fans have expected new music from the group, but for the most part, very little has emerged for a long time – but followers of the emo rockers never stopped listening.—
Hugh McIntyre,
Forbes.com,
14 July 2025
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For more guidance on how to treat your weekend like a vacation, listen to this episode of NPR's Life Kit.—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
14 July 2025
Verb
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There are still multiple avenues to improving the team, but the James situation could have them on hold. Expect to continue hearing the Lakers in the NBA rumor mill.—
Evan Massey,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 July 2025
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But customers still want to feel heard and understood.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
13 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Harken.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/harken. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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