as in listening
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 harkening
That, married with orchestra and Mando’s bass recorder, is a sound harkening back to his days as a producer for Childish Gambino (Donald Glover’s musical stage name).
—
Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 23 May 2026
The joy of family travel and a beach day create an unforgettable experience, harkening back to the golden era of California and the vibrant pulse of the city.
—Fairchild Studio, Footwear News, 23 May 2026
Civil rights activists and Democratic lawmakers have said the redistricting dilutes the voting power of Black voters, harkening back to the south's history before the movement for civil rights.
—Larry Kaplow, NPR, 9 May 2026
But, harkening to the indie roots of the filmmakers, there is a creative spin to the proceedings.
—Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 6 May 2026
The Rancho Days Fiesta at Heritage Hill Historical Park on May 2 will feature a variety of activities harkening back to the area’s early residents, including Native American and Folklorico dancing, charro horse riding and roping demonstrations.
—Heather McRea, Oc Register, 29 Apr. 2026
To commemorate the spirit of this history, Nugget is doing monthly giveaways, harkening back to these gimmicks.
—Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 15 Apr. 2026
This is a different shade of minimalism for Marci, harkening to the gutter ’90s-era beatmaking represented by the dingy floppy disk on the album cover.
—Dylan Green, Pitchfork, 28 Jan. 2026
On Thursday, Amazon MGM unveiled a first look at Turner in character as Croft, with the new interpretation of the heroine harkening back to the gaming icon's look from the earlier video games released in the mid-late '90s.
—Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 15 Jan. 2026
Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 23 May 2026
The joy of family travel and a beach day create an unforgettable experience, harkening back to the golden era of California and the vibrant pulse of the city.
—Fairchild Studio, Footwear News, 23 May 2026
Civil rights activists and Democratic lawmakers have said the redistricting dilutes the voting power of Black voters, harkening back to the south's history before the movement for civil rights.
—Larry Kaplow, NPR, 9 May 2026
But, harkening to the indie roots of the filmmakers, there is a creative spin to the proceedings.
—Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 6 May 2026
The Rancho Days Fiesta at Heritage Hill Historical Park on May 2 will feature a variety of activities harkening back to the area’s early residents, including Native American and Folklorico dancing, charro horse riding and roping demonstrations.
—Heather McRea, Oc Register, 29 Apr. 2026
To commemorate the spirit of this history, Nugget is doing monthly giveaways, harkening back to these gimmicks.
—Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 15 Apr. 2026
This is a different shade of minimalism for Marci, harkening to the gutter ’90s-era beatmaking represented by the dingy floppy disk on the album cover.
—Dylan Green, Pitchfork, 28 Jan. 2026
On Thursday, Amazon MGM unveiled a first look at Turner in character as Croft, with the new interpretation of the heroine harkening back to the gaming icon's look from the earlier video games released in the mid-late '90s.
—Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 15 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for harkening
Verb
-
There are multiple players Barca would be very open to listening to offers for.—
James McNicholas,
New York Times,
2 June 2026
-
The next governor should be listening.—
Daniela Flores,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
2 June 2026
Verb
-
For years now, womenswear designers have been delivering us long, thin (and often useless) scarves—harking all the way back to early-aughts Chloé and Marc Jacobs days, when boho-chic ruled the runways.—
Christian Allaire,
Vogue,
19 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Harkening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/harkening. Accessed 4 Jun. 2026.
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