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
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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
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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
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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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of knock
Maayan Silver, NPR, 25 July 2025
He was then knocked to the ground by an officer who delivered six closed-fist punches to the hamstring of his right thigh, police reports show, according to the AP.
—Damenica Ellis, Charlotte Observer, 24 July 2025
Devon Henderson, Oc Register, 13 July 2025
Another two-out knock, this time off the bat of Alejandro Kirk, put the Blue Jays up 4-0, plating both Guerrero and Addison Barger, who singled on a 70-mph ground ball.
—Sacbee.com, 12 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for knock
Verb
In log rolling, two competitors face off on floating western red cedar logs, switching up treading speed and direction to try and knock their opponent off balance without touching each other.
—Maayan Silver, NPR, 25 July 2025
He was then knocked to the ground by an officer who delivered six closed-fist punches to the hamstring of his right thigh, police reports show, according to the AP.
—Damenica Ellis, Charlotte Observer, 24 July 2025
Noun
Fien lit up his senior season at Great Oak, hitting .358 with 34 knocks, 24 runs, five homers, and 16 RBIs.
—Devon Henderson, Oc Register, 13 July 2025
Another two-out knock, this time off the bat of Alejandro Kirk, put the Blue Jays up 4-0, plating both Guerrero and Addison Barger, who singled on a 70-mph ground ball.
—Sacbee.com, 12 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for knock
Recent Examples of Synonyms for knock
Verb
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Fortunately, burglars tend to go out of their way to avoid bumping into occupants.—
Lew Sichelman,
Miami Herald,
31 July 2025
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The 31-year-old victim tried to calm down the attacker, who was arguing with a man with a bat who bumped into him on E. 175th St. near Walton Ave.—
Rocco Parascandola,
New York Daily News,
30 July 2025
Verb
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The floods that hit the Hill Country nearly three weeks ago killed dozens of young girls at Camp Mystic, many of whose families live in the Houston region.—
Bayliss Wagner,
Austin American Statesman,
25 July 2025
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More: Bourbon, other U.S. spirits could soon be hit with retaliatory EU tariffs.—
Olivia Evans,
The Courier-Journal,
25 July 2025
Verb
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Garza blamed this in part on the county’s failure to provide legal representation at bail hearings for defendants.—
Skye Seipp,
Austin American Statesman,
30 July 2025
-
Trump has blamed India's high tariffs on imports for the trade deficit.—
Omkar Khandekar,
NPR,
30 July 2025
Noun
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For a country like Italy, which prioritizes value for money, this is a devastating blow.—
Elisabetta Tosi,
Forbes.com,
2 Aug. 2025
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People threw punches, kicked and jeered as a man on the ground tried to fend off the blows and a woman tumbled to the concrete, bloody and disoriented.—
Scott Wartman,
The Enquirer,
2 Aug. 2025
Noun
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When a child is harmed, her parent, in scrambling to make sense of her family’s sorrow and misfortune, may settle on blaming the person closest at hand.—
Jessica Winter,
New Yorker,
7 July 2025
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Some shook their legs nervously, others gave death glares to folks with the misfortune of sitting on creaky chairs.—
Omkar Khandekar,
NPR,
8 June 2025
Noun
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Donald Trump suffered a legal setback Thursday after a federal judge ruled against his administration's efforts to end Temporary Protected Status for tens of thousands of migrants.—
Martha McHardy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Aug. 2025
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Beneath the surface, both are grappling with personal wounds, career setbacks and lingering tensions between them.—
Anna Marie de la Fuente,
Variety,
31 July 2025
Verb
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The most recent incident to prompt charges occurred Oct. 13, when Wolf reportedly banged pieces of metal and shouted homophobic insults at the occupants of a neighboring residence.—
Jimmy Lovrien,
Twin Cities,
16 July 2025
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Josh yelled while banging the kitchen tools together.—
Christopher Rudolph,
People.com,
5 July 2025
Verb
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His vow to slap 30% tariffs on imports from the E.U. could be a negotiating tactic, but many in the wine industry are worried nevertheless.—
Russ Wiles,
AZCentral.com,
25 July 2025
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So, slap their observations together and astronomers believed that'd paint a beautiful picture of the night sky in its totality.—
Monisha Ravisetti,
Space.com,
24 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Knock.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/knock. Accessed 5 Aug. 2025.
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