variants
or knock-down-and-drag-out
as in violent
marked by bursts of destructive force or intense activity
the football game was a knock-down, drag-out battle between bitter rivals
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Recent Examples of knock-down, drag-out
But its industry titans are also locked in a knock-down, drag-out fight for market share, with brutal price wars and competition in a crowded home market deflating profits and stymieing growth.
—
Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 2 May 2026
That means the knock-down, drag-out government shutdown battles that have become a Washington ritual are, in effect, a fight over a little more than a quarter of the federal ledger.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 28 Apr. 2026
The meeting of a pair of programs on the rise was a knock-down, drag-out affair that appeared to have no end in sight.
—Evan Webeck, Mercury News, 20 Sep. 2025
What follows is a knock-down, drag-out brawl reminiscent of Tommy Hearns and Marvin Hagler.
—Lynette Rice, Deadline, 15 Dec. 2024
This was a knock-down, drag-out fight — the kind of match that would make for excellent watching when Marvel Snap tournaments are up and running.
—Ash Parrish, The Verge, 31 Jan. 2023
Last week’s knock-down, drag-out fight could just be the first of many this session as GOP lawmakers grapple with government spending, the debt ceiling and the situation at the border.
—Dallas News, 10 Jan. 2023
But both performers rode their SNL success to Hollywood superstardom, in turn validating the audience's appetite for inspired silliness and knock-down, drag-out belly-laughs.
—Dennis Perkins, EW.com, 13 Dec. 2022
As much as the streaming wars can feel like a knock-down, drag-out fight, Amazon can spend time on the ropes because streaming isn’t its core business.
—Angela Watercutter, Wired, 18 Mar. 2022
Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 2 May 2026
That means the knock-down, drag-out government shutdown battles that have become a Washington ritual are, in effect, a fight over a little more than a quarter of the federal ledger.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 28 Apr. 2026
The meeting of a pair of programs on the rise was a knock-down, drag-out affair that appeared to have no end in sight.
—Evan Webeck, Mercury News, 20 Sep. 2025
What follows is a knock-down, drag-out brawl reminiscent of Tommy Hearns and Marvin Hagler.
—Lynette Rice, Deadline, 15 Dec. 2024
This was a knock-down, drag-out fight — the kind of match that would make for excellent watching when Marvel Snap tournaments are up and running.
—Ash Parrish, The Verge, 31 Jan. 2023
Last week’s knock-down, drag-out fight could just be the first of many this session as GOP lawmakers grapple with government spending, the debt ceiling and the situation at the border.
—Dallas News, 10 Jan. 2023
But both performers rode their SNL success to Hollywood superstardom, in turn validating the audience's appetite for inspired silliness and knock-down, drag-out belly-laughs.
—Dennis Perkins, EW.com, 13 Dec. 2022
As much as the streaming wars can feel like a knock-down, drag-out fight, Amazon can spend time on the ropes because streaming isn’t its core business.
—Angela Watercutter, Wired, 18 Mar. 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for knock-down, drag-out
Adjective
-
No one in the NFL tweets about the players who commit violent crimes or are arrested for reckless driving incidents, either.—
Bobby Burack OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
24 May 2026
-
The Allied Democratic Forces, a Ugandan Islamist group linked to IS, is one of the dominant rebel groups there and responsible for violent attacks against civilian targets.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
24 May 2026
Adjective
-
Defending winner Ross Chastain is returning to compete against fierce contenders like Kyle Larson and Denny Hamlin.—
Charles Singh,
USA Today,
23 May 2026
-
Lander, a former comptroller and mayoral candidate, was once a more vocal supporter of Israel and a fierce opponent of the boycott Israel movement, including during a previous contentious fight over Israel at the co-op in 2012.—
Dave Goldiner,
New York Daily News,
23 May 2026
Adjective
-
The first wave of women’s-rights activists won suffrage for women, against ferocious and sometimes violent opposition.—
Helen Lewis,
The Atlantic,
14 May 2026
-
Featuring aching, ferocious performances from Emmy winners Hannah Einbinder and Gillian Anderson, Camp Miasma imagines the resurrection of a dormant slasher franchise.—
David Canfield,
HollywoodReporter,
11 May 2026
Adjective
-
The rise of the tech sector has been fast and furious over the past decade, with contracts for communications, targeting, surveillance, information processing and pilotless vehicles going to emerging tech firms rather than the usual suspects.—
William Hartung,
Forbes.com,
24 May 2026
-
My Instagram feed is flooded with selfie videos of furious Russians venting about internet disruptions, which have hit small businesses hard.—
Anna Nemtsova,
Time,
23 May 2026
Adjective
-
The collapse of its currency is changing that—placing Jakarta at the center of a turbulent 2026.—
William Pesek,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2026
-
The shutdown adds to a turbulent stretch for Madrigal’s restaurant empire.—
Reeti Malhotra
May 22,
Sacbee.com,
22 May 2026
Adjective
-
The pitching staff has been jostled, with a rough outing by lefty reliever Aaron Bummer on Monday necessitating his release on Tuesday.—
Ken Sugiura,
AJC.com,
20 May 2026
-
Government bonds in Australia and New Zealand are having a rough May.—
William Pesek,
Forbes.com,
20 May 2026
Adjective
-
And nobody has ever designed a reactor for the moon, a hostile volcanic desert subject to extreme temperature swings, frequent asteroid strikes and protracted quakes.—
Robin George Andrews,
Scientific American,
19 May 2026
-
Visitors can bike a 90-mile scenic route, explore volcanic fissures, or stop for classic diner fare like the Burger Queen Drive-In.—
Travel + Leisure Editors,
Travel + Leisure,
19 May 2026
Adjective
-
Mitchell’s music variously evokes gospel, blues, working songs and the ravings of a rabid cult.—
Chris Jones,
Chicago Tribune,
11 May 2026
-
There's no question that Wetzel has a rabid following, and continues to build a powerful brand in the country music world.—
David Hookstead OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
8 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Knock-down, drag-out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/knock-down%2C%20drag-out. Accessed 26 May. 2026.
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