Idiom: know better
Meaning
Idiom: know better (than to do something) / not know any better
- to know to behave in an appropriate way
- to know or understand the truth about something or know more than someone else about something
Example sentences
to know to behave in an appropriate way:
— I can’t believe that you took all of these office supplies from your office—you should know better!
— Don’t yell at him. He’s only five years old and he doesn’t know any better.
— You know better than to invite your friends over when we're not at the house.
— Now that you're 10 years old you know better than to draw on the walls.
— I knew better than to drink and drive but I was too lazy to call a cab. I really regret it, your Honor.
— He's beaten you five times! You know better than to go back to him again!
to know or understand the truth about something or know more than someone else about something:
— The cars sped ahead of me as we approached the airport but I knew better because I saw the police speed trap the day before.
— Our team thought my boss was at home sick but I knew better because my boyfriend saw her at the train station.
— My sister told me how upperclassmen target freshman girls just for conquests so I knew better when a few tried to invite me over to their frat house.
— Our old roommate tried to blame us for the broken lock on the door but our landlord knew better.
Synonyms
to know to behave in an appropriate way:
- know right from wrong
to know or understand the truth about something:
- be no stranger to something
- have been around the block
- have seen it all before
- know perfectly well
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