knocking up

Definition of knocking upnext
present participle of knock up, British

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of knocking up With 200 hp worth of empty space to play with before knocking up against the 600-hp V12 Verado, Mercury is dialing up the overall output of the V10 range by adding a new 425-hp variant as the flagship of the family. New Atlas, 12 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for knocking up
Verb
  • And so there have been no occasions when your security detail had difficulty waking or locating you.
    NBC news, NBC news, 17 May 2026
  • Some of the Richins' children described waking in fear the day their father died and being mistreated by Kouri Richins in statements read by their counselors.
    N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 13 May 2026
Verb
  • What the Cortisol Awakening Response Actually Is The cortisol awakening response is the rapid surge of cortisol across the first 30 to 45 minutes after waking, per a January 2025 review in Endocrine Reviews.
    Allison Palmer, Kansas City Star, 6 May 2026
  • As temperatures climb and trees bud with the arrival of spring, a native frog species is awakening after months being frozen and nearly dead.
    Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 23 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • In Hocus Pocus, Dani, her older brother Max (Omri Katz) and his crush Allison (Vinessa Shaw) have to save the children of Salem, Massachusetts after accidentally awaking the witch Sanderson sisters from their 300-year slumber.
    Glenn Garner, Deadline, 25 Oct. 2025
  • Tirso Ornelas’ seventh-inning grand slam triggered a late-game awaking as Triple-A El Paso beat host Sugar Land 13-2 on Wednesday.
    Jeff Sanders, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Sep. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Knocking up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/knocking%20up. Accessed 21 May. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster