how
adverb
\ ËhauÌ
\
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Definition of how
(Entry 1 of 3)
1a
: in what manner or way
How did you two meet each other? How did he die? How do you know that?
b
: for what reason : why
How would I know if it's going to rain or not?
c
: with what meaning : to what effect
How are we to interpret such behavior?
d
: by what name or title
How art thou called?— William Shakespeare
2
: to what degree or extent
How much longer do we have to wait? I don't know how old she is.
3
: in what state or condition
How are you? How do you feel?
4
: at what price
how a score of ewes now— Shakespeare
how about
how come
: what do you say to or think of
how about it, are you going?
: how does it happen that : why
How come you can't go?
how
conjunctionDefinition of how (Entry 2 of 3)
1a
: the way or manner in which
asked how they could help the story of how the company was founded remember how they fought
also
: the state or condition in which
reported how the patient was found by the paramedics
b
: that
told them how he had a situation— Charles Dickens
how
nounDefinition of how (Entry 3 of 3)
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Synonyms for how
Synonyms: Adverb
Synonyms: Noun
approach, fashion, form, manner, method, methodology, recipe, strategy, style, system, tack, tactics, technique, way
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Examples of how in a Sentence
Adverb
How and where did you meet him? How shall I address the President? How will we pay for the trip? âHow did you get here?â âBy bus.â âHow did she die?â âShe had cancer.â How do you know that? How did you find us? How could you have known? How did you happen to move here?Conjunction
We asked how we could help. Let me tell you how we'll pay for the trip. The book tells the story of how the company was founded. She explained how she came to live here. I don't know how the service is at the new restaurant. I remember how they fought. Be careful how you talk; you could get fired. She told us how she had to work hard. He knows how you are a valued employee. It's amazing how they completed the bridge so quickly.Noun
the environmental activist eagerly launched into an explanation of the hows and whys of developing renewable energy sources
Recent Examples on the Web: Adverb
Among other things, that information allowed scientists to finally pin down exactly how massive Saturnâs rings really are. — Avery Thompson, Popular Mechanics, "Saturn's Rings Are Much Younger Than You Might Think," 18 Jan. 2019 All sound projects from the bottom of the handle, which makes sense in terms of how hands are likely to cover the rest of the handle. — Sam Machkovech, Ars Technica, "Hands-on with a $434 replica lightsaber: May the dork be with you," 25 Dec. 2018 The Fed is widely expected Wednesday to raise interest rates for a fourth time this year and likely indicate how much and how often officials expect to increase rates in coming years. — Jessica Menton, WSJ, "U.S. Stocks Need a Santa Claus Rally to Avoid a Losing Year," 17 Dec. 2018 Several operatives working for the group were listed in a February 2018 indictment from special counsel Robert Muller detailing how Russian nationals interfered in the 2016 election. — P.r. Lockhart, Vox, "How Russia exploited racial tensions in America during the 2016 elections," 17 Dec. 2018 The decision resurrected questions about how the military treats detainees and how soldiers should conduct themselves in places where lethal danger is ever present. — Taimoor Shah, The Seattle Times, "Trump to âreviewâ case of Green Beret accused of murdering Afghan," 16 Dec. 2018 Yet how fabulously civilised was the public response in the streets today. — David Abrahams, Vogue, "A Very British Protest Unites London," 14 July 2018 There was no explanation of how the driving was suspicious. — Pauline Repard, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Border Patrol seizes 45 pounds of meth in pickup along I-15 in Fallbrook," 14 July 2018 So, how was that, to see that story all the way through? — Abby Gardner, Glamour, "How a Former Glamour College Woman of the Year Helped Break the Alice Johnson Story," 13 July 2018Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
Clearly, the Soviet Union had the background, know-how, and brains though their political system was inferior to ours in terms of organizing those brains. — Matt Blitz, Popular Mechanics, "Michael Collins Is Ready To Go To Mars," 20 July 2019 Inside the campaign, Mauldin, 30, is seen as a rising star, prized for his mischievous sense of humor and digital know-how, according to two people familiar with the operation. — Matthew Rosenberg, BostonGlobe.com, "Trump consultant is trolling Democrats with Biden site that isnât Bidenâs," 29 June 2019 Clearly, Waymo brings the tech expertise, and Renault and Nissan bring the manufacturing know-how, plus some insider knowledge about local laws and politics. — Aarian Marshall, WIRED, "Waymo Goes Global With Renault-Nissan Partnership," 20 June 2019 As for the businesses best suited to provide the investment and know-how to fuel Paraguayâs industrialisation, Paraguay doesnât have to look far. — The Economist, "A secret hydropower deal with Brazil causes a political crisis in Paraguay," 18 Aug. 2019 The county will provide bags, sand, scoops and know-how to help residents who provide proof of residency â a drivers license, a utility bill or government document. — Stephen Hudak, orlandosentinel.com, "Orange County offers sandbags to residents for protection from storm flooding," 15 Aug. 2019 That makes no business sense for a country thatâs already suffering from a painful lack of know-how in many crucial tech sectors. — Stephane Kasriel, Fortune, "Why Upwork Scratched College Degree Requirements From Our Job Descriptions," 6 June 2019 Be available for up to 7-10 days of filming (staggered over 7-8 weeks).| Be enthusiastic about working with Jonathan and his design team who have the know-how to help create your dream home. — Megan Stein, Country Living, "How Much Does It Cost to Get on Drew and Jonathan Scott's 'Property Brothers?'," 3 Aug. 2019 The dense supply chains that grew up around China served as conduits for technological know-how, transmitting the elements of sustained innovation to underdeveloped economies. — The Economist, "Emerging-market dreams of rich-world incomes meet reality," 1 Aug. 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'how.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.