The term 'was informed' can be broken down into two crossword solutions: 'knew' and 'HEARD'. 'Knew' is a 4-letter verb that means to have knowledge of something, usually through experience or study. 'HEARD' is a 5-letter verb that means to perceive sound or to be told something. Together, these two words can be used to describe the act of being informed, which is when someone is given information about something.