1
as in to bump
to come into usually forceful contact with something
my knee knocked against the table leg when I tried to get up quickly
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to hit
to deliver a blow to (someone or something) usually in a strong vigorous manner
threatened to knock him upside the head if he didn't do as he was told
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in to blame
to express one's unfavorable opinion of the worth or quality of
hey, don't knock it until you've tried it
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in blow
a hard strike with a part of the body or an instrument
gave the door a good knock
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in misfortune
bad luck or an example of this
getting his college degree was a six year adventure not without its share of knocks along the way
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in setback
a change in status for the worse usually temporarily
the geneticist's reputation took a knock when several of his peers were unable to confirm his research findings
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of knock
Mark Harris Outkick, FOXNews.com, 27 Apr. 2026
Investigators say Pihakis struck the victim in the back of the head with an open fist, knocking her to the floor.
—Shelley Bortz, CBS News, 27 Apr. 2026
Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Apr. 2026
His knock is a lack of production at Oklahoma — part of that is him, part is the Oklahoma offense — and blocking that was questionable, to say the least.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 22 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for knock
Verb
Facing an awkward bunker shot from 35 yards to a back pin where a miss long is death, Matt proceeded to knock it to 14 inches.
—Mark Harris Outkick, FOXNews.com, 27 Apr. 2026
Investigators say Pihakis struck the victim in the back of the head with an open fist, knocking her to the floor.
—Shelley Bortz, CBS News, 27 Apr. 2026
Noun
On the top terrace lies the biggest pool in Florence at 35 meters; knock-out views take in the city center, Brunelleschi’s cupola included, to the south and that oh-so-familiar timeless Tuscan countryside to the north.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Apr. 2026
His knock is a lack of production at Oklahoma — part of that is him, part is the Oklahoma offense — and blocking that was questionable, to say the least.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 22 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for knock
Recent Examples of Synonyms for knock
Verb
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Due to the size of the crowd, one of the people the boy was with was bumped into an unknown woman, who told them not to bump into her again.—
Todd Feurer,
CBS News,
29 Apr. 2026
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Some of the recent videos show the runners bumping into security guards and shoving past church staff, then leaving after being cornered and told to get off the property.—
James Queally,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Carson Richter hit a grand slam for Newbury Park.—
Eric Sondheimer,
Los Angeles Times,
2 May 2026
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Austin Hays then hit a grounder to third baseman Manny Machado.—
LaMond Pope,
Chicago Tribune,
2 May 2026
Verb
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The Mets have received little from the back end of their rotation — ironically, Peterson is one of the pitchers to blame here, alongside Kodai Senga — but Scott could provide a higher floor and ceiling in one of those spots.—
Tim Britton,
New York Times,
4 May 2026
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In 1998, as many as 1,000 birds – mostly pelicans, wading birds and raptors – died around Lake Apopka, a tragedy blamed on poisoning from the pesticides used on the muck farms.—
Stephen Hudak,
The Orlando Sentinel,
4 May 2026
Noun
-
Shortly after the five-year anniversary of the killing of 13-year-old Adam Toledo by a Chicago police officer, the case was poised to move to a high-profile weekslong trial when a Cook County judge dealt a blow to the Toledo family’s case.—
Madeline Buckley,
Chicago Tribune,
3 May 2026
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Helping cushion the blow of the supply shock, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have used alternative export routes that bypass the Strait of Hormuz.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
3 May 2026
Noun
-
The latter faces more corruption up front, but both protagonists deal with their fair share of misfortune, growing up all too fast as a result.—
David Opie,
IndieWire,
15 Apr. 2026
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The Philadelphia singer-songwriter seeks out the mystical potential of quotidian misfortunes in a set of psychedelic-of-center bedroom pop songs.—
Lily Goldberg,
Pitchfork,
8 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Despite these setbacks, the condo and townhome segment demonstrated resilience, with average prices rising 9% to nearly $944,000.—
Sara B. Hansen,
Denver Post,
2 May 2026
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The project has faced several setbacks.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
2 May 2026
Verb
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Chris Sale sliced and diced and Drake Baldwin banged and bashed as the Braves beat the Rockies 9-1 on Saturday at Coors Field, setting a franchise record by starting the year unbeaten in their first 11 series (10-0-1).—
Chad Bishop,
AJC.com,
3 May 2026
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Jurors then heard sounds of banging and choking — and Athena screaming and crying, the Star-Telegram reports.—
Christina Coulter,
PEOPLE,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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That put an end to the zero-tariff trade environment for exporters on both sides of the Atlantic and slapped new duties onto Scotch whisky and other spirits sent to America from Britain.—
Joseph Wilkins,
CNBC,
1 May 2026
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But what's really cool is that these are not just standard off-the-rack clubs that the folks at McLaren slapped their logo onto.—
Matt Reigle OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
1 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Knock.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/knock. Accessed 5 May. 2026.
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