as in wearing
to use up all the physical energy of
the entire staff knocked itself out getting the project finished on time
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Recent Examples of knocking out
In his defense, Barnett took the stand to say there was no murder plot and that Thomas threatened him for the money using physical violence — knocking out a tooth, injuring his left shoulder, and smacking his private parts.
—
Sydney Pereira, Miami Herald, 27 Jan. 2026
In July 2024, an outage with cybersecurity company CrowdStrike plunged the country and beyond into chaos, knocking out services at airports, hospitals, grocery stores and more.
—Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 15 Jan. 2026
Microsoft’s Azure cloud network faced a major disruption Wednesday, knocking out access to popular platforms including Office 365, Minecraft, and Xbox Live.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 29 Oct. 2025
In May, a tree fell, knocking out the B&B’s power.
—Sarah Henry, Louisville Courier Journal, 13 Oct. 2025
In 2018, after knocking out the Yankees in the ALDS, the Red Sox blasted the tune.
—The Athletic Mlb Staff, New York Times, 9 Oct. 2025
The first, of course, came last year, and featured Cleveland knocking out the Tigers in a full-distance best-of-five ALDS.
—Ryan Ford, Freep.com, 29 Sep. 2025
And some vaccines are combination shots, knocking out three or four diseases with one injection, such as the measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine or the Diphtheria, tetanus, & acellular pertussis (DTaP) vaccine.
—ArsTechnica, 24 Sep. 2025
The damaging winds uprooted trees and tore roof shingles in neighborhoods around Carmichael, knocking out power to more than 13,000 SMUD customers in Sacramento’s northeast suburbs.
—Sacbee.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Sydney Pereira, Miami Herald, 27 Jan. 2026
In July 2024, an outage with cybersecurity company CrowdStrike plunged the country and beyond into chaos, knocking out services at airports, hospitals, grocery stores and more.
—Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 15 Jan. 2026
Microsoft’s Azure cloud network faced a major disruption Wednesday, knocking out access to popular platforms including Office 365, Minecraft, and Xbox Live.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 29 Oct. 2025
In May, a tree fell, knocking out the B&B’s power.
—Sarah Henry, Louisville Courier Journal, 13 Oct. 2025
In 2018, after knocking out the Yankees in the ALDS, the Red Sox blasted the tune.
—The Athletic Mlb Staff, New York Times, 9 Oct. 2025
The first, of course, came last year, and featured Cleveland knocking out the Tigers in a full-distance best-of-five ALDS.
—Ryan Ford, Freep.com, 29 Sep. 2025
And some vaccines are combination shots, knocking out three or four diseases with one injection, such as the measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine or the Diphtheria, tetanus, & acellular pertussis (DTaP) vaccine.
—ArsTechnica, 24 Sep. 2025
The damaging winds uprooted trees and tore roof shingles in neighborhoods around Carmichael, knocking out power to more than 13,000 SMUD customers in Sacramento’s northeast suburbs.
—Sacbee.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for knocking out
Verb
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Moments later, Carthen struts into the frame wearing a Patriot's jersey corset, an enormous fur stole, and knee-high Timberland stilettos.—
Kathleen Walsh,
Glamour,
9 Feb. 2026
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For part of his sentence, he was allowed out to work with the Norwegian Football Federation coaching young players, while wearing an ankle tag.—
Greg O'Keeffe,
New York Times,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
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On Tuesday morning, Russian planes dropped seven powerful glide bombs on Sloviansk, in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine, killing an 11-year-old girl and her mother, according to regional chief Vadym Filashkin.—
EMMA BURROWS THE ASSOCIATED PRESS,
Arkansas Online,
11 Feb. 2026
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Prosecutors say Brian Walton of Los Angeles was a stranger to Claudia Guevara, but he’s accused of killing the woman, then 23.—
Andrea Flores,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Still, investors in tech giants are growing nervous because these firms are essentially exhausting their available capital to fund the infrastructure buildout, according to Luria.—
Jake Angelo,
Fortune,
6 Feb. 2026
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But some districts are hitting their ninth snow day of the year, exhausting the stockpile.—
Brooke Muckerman,
Memphis Commercial Appeal,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
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This helps each step feel lighter and easier, diminishing fatigue and letting the wearer venture out farther without tiring.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
3 Dec. 2025
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This constant barrage overshadows the self-care experience, hijacking my focus and frankly, tiring me out.—
Caelan McMichael,
Allure,
7 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Families are aging, caregivers are burning out, and too many people are forced into crisis placements or inappropriate settings because suitable housing options simply do not exist.—
Fay Lenz,
Hartford Courant,
9 Feb. 2026
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This approach is gaining traction across sales, partnerships, and customer success teams, where professionals face constant pressure to be responsive without burning out.—
Matt Emma,
USA Today,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
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And yes, that extends to our federal government — in particular, the Department of Homeland Security, which is fast wearing out its welcome here.—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
The Orlando Sentinel,
8 Feb. 2026
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Amazon Essentials Waisted Sweatshirt Dress Dresses aren’t just for wearing out—this sweatshirt dress is the perfect loungewear basic to stay comfortable at home on chilly days.—
Caley Sturgill,
Southern Living,
20 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Helene caused catastrophic damage across western North Carolina, washing out roads including stretches of Interstate 40 that collapsed into the Pigeon River Gorge, damaging bridges and isolating entire communities.—
Nora O'Neill,
Charlotte Observer,
21 Jan. 2026
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Dallas’ defense has been bad on third downs, washing out a resurgent Dak Prescott season (second in passing yards and third in passing touchdowns).—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
New York Times,
25 Dec. 2025
Verb
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But the storks suffered when developers and agriculture operations began the ditching and draining that eventually compromised some 35% of South Florida's wetlands, where the majority of the birds nested.—
Dinah Voyles Pulver,
USA Today,
9 Feb. 2026
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Use a rich, well-draining, loamy soil mix rich in organic matter.—
SJ McShane,
Martha Stewart,
9 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Knocking out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/knocking%20out. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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