Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

know like the back of one's hand

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.33 in modern English

Syllables: know -like the back- of one's -hand
IPA

54

Scrabble Score

25

Letters

4

Syllables

15

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To be intimately knowledgeable about something.

Transitive verb

Example Sentences

"He knows the software like the back of his hand, and can often solve problems over the phone, without looking."
""I can; know that country like the back of my hand. You haven't got a road map, I suppose. Well, no matter, I'll give you the lay of the land without it.""
"“I know American audiences like the back of my hand,” she says, sitting in a dressing room in London at the end of a long day of rehearsals; […]"

Usage

Transitive verb

Inflected Forms

knows like the back of one's hand (present, singular) knowing like the back of one's hand (participle, present) knew like the back of one's hand (past) known like the back of one's hand (participle, past) know like the palm of one's hand (alternative)

Phrases

give someone the back of one's hand

Frequently Paired Words

give someone the back of one's hand

Synonyms

know inside and out know like a book

Questions

What does know like the back of one's hand mean?: To be intimately knowledgeable about something.

How to pronounce know like the back of one's hand

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “know like the back of one's hand”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “know like the back of one's hand”.
Repeat and practice — Say “know like the back of one's hand” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.