know like the back of one's hand

verb

To be intimately knowledgeable about something.

“He knows the software like the back of his hand, and can often solve problems over the phone, without looking.”

Similar
know inside and outknow like a book
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Meanings

verbknow like the back of one's hand (third-person singular simple present knows like the back of one's hand, present participle knowing like the back of one's hand, simple past knew like the back of one's hand, past participle known like the back of one's hand)

present singular third person knows like the back of one's hand · participle present knowing like the back of one's hand · past knew like the back of one's hand · participle past known like the back of one's hand · alternative know like the palm of one's hand

  1. transitivesimileTo be intimately knowledgeable about something.

    He knows the software like the back of his hand, and can often solve problems over the phone, without looking.

    2 more examples

    "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."

    1938, Norman Lindsay, Age of Consent, 1st Australian edition, Sydney, N.S.W.: Ure Smith, published 1962, →OCLC, page 218

    “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; […]

    2024 April 27, Tim Bano, quoting Sanaz Toossi, “It’s a play born of rage”, in FT Weekend (Life & Arts section), London: The Financial Times Ltd., →ISSN, →OCLC, page 15

    Synonyms: know inside and out, know like a book

Synonyms & antonyms

verbTo be intimately knowledgeable about something.

Similar
know inside and outknow like a book
Also see
know inside and outknow like a book

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 瞭如指掌 /了如指掌
  • 瞭如指掌 /了如指掌 (liǎorúzhǐzhǎng)be intimately knowledgeable about
Dutch kennen als zijn broekzak
  • kennen als zijn broekzakbe intimately knowledgeable about
Finnish tuntea kuin omat taskunsa
  • tuntea kuin omat taskunsabe intimately knowledgeable about
French connaître comme sa poche
  • connaître comme sa pochebe intimately knowledgeable about
German etwas kennen wie die eigene Westentasche
  • etwas kennen wie die eigene Westentaschebe intimately knowledgeable about
Hungarian ismeri, mint a tenyerét
  • ismeri, mint a tenyerétbe intimately knowledgeable about
Norwegian kjenne som sin egen bukselomme
  • kjenne som sin egen bukselommebe intimately knowledgeable about
Polish znać jak własną kieszeń, znać od podszewki
  • znać jak własną kieszeńbe intimately knowledgeable about
  • znać od podszewkibe intimately knowledgeable about
Portuguese conhecer como a palma da mão
  • conhecer como a palma da mãobe intimately knowledgeable about
Spanish conocer algo como la palma de su mano
  • conocer algo como la palma de su manobe intimately knowledgeable about
Swedish känna som sin egen ficka
  • känna som sin egen fickabe intimately knowledgeable about
Cite this entry
APA

know like the back of one's hand. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/know%20like%20the%20back%20of%20one's%20hand

MLA

“know like the back of one's hand.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/know%20like%20the%20back%20of%20one's%20hand. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “know like the back of one's hand,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/know%20like%20the%20back%20of%20one's%20hand.

Source: know like the back of one's hand on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.