know better
idiom
1
: to be smart or sensible enough not to do something
You walked home alone? Don't you know better (than that)?
She'll know better than to trust them again.
There's no excuse for his behavior. He's old enough to know better.
Don't blame him. He's just a child and he doesn't know (any) better.
2
: to know or understand the truth about something
She tried to tell me that it wasn't her fault, but I know better.
3
: to know or understand more than other people
You can't tell him what to do. He always thinks that he knows better.
Examples of know better in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The memories are sweet, but Boone and Roberts know better than to mention them in conversation with each other.
—
Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2024
VCs know better than anyone that a great captain alone doesn’t a successful startup make.
—Alexander Puutio, Forbes, 16 Oct. 2024
Ryan Vivian San Jose Patriotic Republicans should vote Democrat
This letter is for the Republicans who know better and still support Donald Trump.
—Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 1 Oct. 2024
Viewers who immediately know better than to believe anything Oz says may grow wearier, faster than those who go in looking for DC Comics easter eggs and Batman universe-building.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 12 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for know better 
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2024
VCs know better than anyone that a great captain alone doesn’t a successful startup make.
—Alexander Puutio, Forbes, 16 Oct. 2024
Ryan Vivian San Jose Patriotic Republicans should vote Democrat
This letter is for the Republicans who know better and still support Donald Trump.
—Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 1 Oct. 2024
Viewers who immediately know better than to believe anything Oz says may grow wearier, faster than those who go in looking for DC Comics easter eggs and Batman universe-building.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 12 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for know better
Dictionary Entries Near know better
Cite this Entry
“Know better.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/know%20better. Accessed 14 Nov. 2024.
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