as in listened
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 harkened
The look harkened back to her leggy ensemble at the 2012 Oscars.
—
Catherine Santino, PEOPLE, 9 Sep. 2025
The panel harkened back to 2001, when former Mayor Rich Crotty convened a similar group to review the jail.
—Ryan Gillespie, Orlando Sentinel, 31 Jan. 2025
And Jimmy Kimmel pranked Guillermo in a way that also harkened to older, meaner prank TV.
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 31 Jan. 2025
His suit featured four-bar motifs, which harkened back to the label’s men’s resort 2024 collection.
—Julia Teti, WWD, 27 Jan. 2025
The Legislature’s pushback has harkened back to a time in which lawmakers more regularly exercised their power against the governor.
—Lawrence Mower, Miami Herald, 24 Jan. 2025
Fewer songs have harkened a triumphant fist-in-the-air before or since, an iconic ’80s song to open and close one of the most iconic ’80s films.
—Spin Editors, SPIN, 21 Jan. 2025
No matter what the fashion direction of these performers was, the looks harkened back to their signature sounds—creating singular moods for their shows that transported audiences through clothes.
—Christian Allaire, Vogue, 31 Dec. 2024
Catherine Santino, PEOPLE, 9 Sep. 2025
The panel harkened back to 2001, when former Mayor Rich Crotty convened a similar group to review the jail.
—Ryan Gillespie, Orlando Sentinel, 31 Jan. 2025
And Jimmy Kimmel pranked Guillermo in a way that also harkened to older, meaner prank TV.
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 31 Jan. 2025
His suit featured four-bar motifs, which harkened back to the label’s men’s resort 2024 collection.
—Julia Teti, WWD, 27 Jan. 2025
The Legislature’s pushback has harkened back to a time in which lawmakers more regularly exercised their power against the governor.
—Lawrence Mower, Miami Herald, 24 Jan. 2025
Fewer songs have harkened a triumphant fist-in-the-air before or since, an iconic ’80s song to open and close one of the most iconic ’80s films.
—Spin Editors, SPIN, 21 Jan. 2025
No matter what the fashion direction of these performers was, the looks harkened back to their signature sounds—creating singular moods for their shows that transported audiences through clothes.
—Christian Allaire, Vogue, 31 Dec. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for harkened
Verb
-
During the first meeting, the patient’s hair loss pattern is analyzed, the quality of the donor area is evaluated, and the patient’s expectations are listened to in detail.—
Daniel Fusch,
USA Today,
17 Sep. 2025
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The team analyzed data collected from 2003 to 2023 from more than 236,000 Americans as part of the American Time Use Survey; the data included how often participants read physical books, magazines, newspapers, or listened to audio and electronic books on an average day.—
Helen Carefoot,
Flow Space,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
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In a video taken by a security camera at his mother's driveway, obtained by ABC News, a federal agent can be heard asking Gamez Lira to turn off the engine and to not resist.—
Armando Garcia,
ABC News,
18 Sep. 2025
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Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office What To Know Videos posted on social media after the shooting showed officers carrying Zinn from the scene as students can be heard screaming.—
Khaleda Rahman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Harkened.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/harkened. Accessed 19 Sep. 2025.
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