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
FOXNews.com, 6 June 2025
His winning streak of eight fights overall ended in July 2024 when Charles Johnson knocked him out.
—Trent Reinsmith, Forbes.com, 6 June 2025
Elaine Quijano, CBS News, 25 May 2025
That’s no knock on the singing or dancing of the girls, and as a former idol herself, Kyoko Saito as Mai brings in a few performance details that are palpably drawn from a place of personal resonance.
—Josh Slater-Williams, IndieWire, 22 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for knock
Verb
Continue reading … Click here for more cartoons… MEDIA
TOO LITTLE, TOO LATE – Charlamagne knocks KJP's book, says 'nobody wants to hear' from person who 'lied' for Biden administration.
—FOXNews.com, 6 June 2025
His winning streak of eight fights overall ended in July 2024 when Charles Johnson knocked him out.
—Trent Reinsmith, Forbes.com, 6 June 2025
Noun
There are mothers and fathers, there are children that get these knocks.
—Elaine Quijano, CBS News, 25 May 2025
That’s no knock on the singing or dancing of the girls, and as a former idol herself, Kyoko Saito as Mai brings in a few performance details that are palpably drawn from a place of personal resonance.
—Josh Slater-Williams, IndieWire, 22 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for knock
Recent Examples of Synonyms for knock
Verb
-
Candy and Allan bonded after bumping into each other at a church volleyball game.—
Jessica Sager,
People.com,
13 June 2025
-
The workers are non-unionized and do not have bumping rights, according to the company’s letter, which is signed by a corporate adviser from Harney Partners.—
Frederick Melo,
Twin Cities,
11 June 2025
Verb
-
Lightning hits the United States approximately 25 million times annually.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
7 June 2025
-
After the Dodgers opted to intentionally walk Juan Soto to put runners on first and second with one out in the eighth inning, Alonso hit a single.—
Will Sammon,
New York Times,
6 June 2025
Verb
-
Chicago Tribune If the plan goes awry and a recruit slips away, one thing the former NBA insider refuses to do is blame the money.—
Maura Carey,
Chicago Tribune,
12 June 2025
-
Tax rise hit Domestic tax rises have also been blamed for the steep decline in economic activity.—
Holly Ellyatt,
CNBC,
12 June 2025
Noun
-
Khan feared that delaying his departure beyond the deadline might have resulted in his wife and children being hauled off to a police station along with him, which would have been a blow to his family’s dignity.—
Elena Becatoros,
Los Angeles Times,
14 June 2025
-
The strikes were also a major blow to Iran’s chain of command, killing the nation’s top generals.—
Martín González Gómez,
New York Times,
13 June 2025
Noun
-
Escobar had the misfortune of stepping into the shadow of the past season with skeletons in her closet.—
Larisha Paul,
Rolling Stone,
5 June 2025
-
Plenty of other contenders faced similar misfortune.—
Steve Megargee,
Chicago Tribune,
31 May 2025
Noun
-
The ruling is a setback for Khalil, who was detained in March.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
14 June 2025
-
Baldoni was hit with a major setback on Monday, when Judge Lewis Liman dismissed his defamation and extortion suit against Lively and the New York Times.—
Gene Maddaus,
Variety,
13 June 2025
Verb
-
There's no point in banging your head against the wall.—
Tom Sanderson,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2025
-
Even after being handcuffed, the passenger continued to behave aggressively, repeatedly banging her head against the bus window.—
Moná Thomas,
People.com,
27 May 2025
Verb
-
The European Union has been working to strike a trade agreement with the US, conscious in particular of Trump’s recent threat to slap a 50% tariff on goods arriving from the bloc.—
Anna Cooban,
CNN Money,
5 June 2025
-
Price hikes happened quickly after Trump slapped steep levies on trading partners, whether large or small.—
Alex Harring,
CNBC,
4 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Knock.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/knock. Accessed 18 Jun. 2025.
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