as in wearing
to use up all the physical energy of
the entire staff knocked itself out getting the project finished on time
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Recent Examples of knocking out
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
Bugner regained his triple crown — the Euro, Brit and Commonwealth titles — in his next bout, knocking out Richard Dunn in the first round.
—Erik Pedersen, Deadline, 1 Sep. 2025
Reaching for a portable clothes steamer is my go-to hack for knocking out pesky creases in a flash.
—Maggie Horton, People.com, 22 Aug. 2025
Logic would suggest the pay TV providers may have an easier time knocking out a carriage deal with ESPN than normal because both sides should want to give customers authentication access to the ESPN app as soon as possible.
—Alex Sherman, CNBC, 21 Aug. 2025
Storms rolled through Green Bay Saturday afternoon, knocking out power for thousands in the area.
—Rob Reischel, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2025
Sacbee.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Bugner regained his triple crown — the Euro, Brit and Commonwealth titles — in his next bout, knocking out Richard Dunn in the first round.
—Erik Pedersen, Deadline, 1 Sep. 2025
Reaching for a portable clothes steamer is my go-to hack for knocking out pesky creases in a flash.
—Maggie Horton, People.com, 22 Aug. 2025
Logic would suggest the pay TV providers may have an easier time knocking out a carriage deal with ESPN than normal because both sides should want to give customers authentication access to the ESPN app as soon as possible.
—Alex Sherman, CNBC, 21 Aug. 2025
Storms rolled through Green Bay Saturday afternoon, knocking out power for thousands in the area.
—Rob Reischel, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for knocking out
Verb
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Mourners, many of whom were visibly upset and wearing Walmart uniforms, placed electric candles at the memorial.—
Amanda Rosa,
Miami Herald,
10 Sep. 2025
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Citations for not having headlights on during rain, fog or smoke and for not wearing a seatbelt were also dismissed.—
Christopher Cann,
USA Today,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The apology came less than 24 hours after an unidentified shooter opened fire at a college university killing Kirk, a media personality and author.—
Natalie Neysa Alund,
USA Today,
12 Sep. 2025
-
Come to the table, as Republicans and Democrats, to pass solutions to the epidemic of gun violence that’s killing both of us.—
Gabby Giffords,
Time,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
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For more than a century, the region has been caught in a thrilling but exhausting economic romance.—
Reid Rasner,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
-
Jones remained on Ohio's death row for decades, exhausting most of his appeals, until Hamilton County Common Pleas Judge Wende Cross overturned his murder conviction, freed him from prison and granted him a new trial two years ago.—
Dan Horn,
The Enquirer,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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So people shouldn’t swim against the current, which puts them at risk of tiring out.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA Today,
16 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Where appropriate, autopilot ensures critical operations continue, even during off-hours or high-volume events, without burning out engineers or sacrificing uptime.—
Ronak Desai,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
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That doesn’t mean burning out or micromanaging every detail.—
Dossé-Via Trenou,
Refinery29,
24 Aug. 2025
Verb
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This past winter, the overhaul included the loss of Gleyber Torres, who was a two-time All-Star with the Yankees before refusing to move off of second base to accommodate Chisholm and eventually wearing out his welcome in the Bronx.—
Peter Chawaga,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Brightness is stunning, colors pop naturally, and dark scenes stay detailed without washing out, which proves to be great for movie nights or gaming marathons.—
Shubham Yewale,
PC Magazine,
2 Sep. 2025
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On the night of the peak, the moon will be 84% illuminated, washing out most of the shooting stars, according to NASA.—
Hannah Poukish,
Sacbee.com,
8 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The bowls have wavy, scalloped edges that give it an artisanal look as well as holds and cutouts for draining any lingering water.—
Stephanie Osmanski,
Better Homes & Gardens,
9 Sep. 2025
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Use fertile, moist, slightly acidic soil that’s well-draining, and amend it with compost or other organic matter.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
9 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Knocking out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/knocking%20out. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
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