knock over

verb

knocked over; knocking over; knocks over

transitive verb

1

a(1)

: to strike to the ground : fell

(2)

: overwhelm

was knocked over by the news

b

: eliminate

knocked over every difficulty

2

a

: steal

especially : hijack

… knocks over a truckload of merchandise …

—J. B. Martin

b

: rob

knocking over a bank

Synonyms of knock over

• rob
• steal (from)

Examples of knock over in a Sentence

he knocked over six convenience stores before getting caught

knocked me over trying to get out the door

Recent Examples on the Web

The refs missed a key penalty when a Texas defender forcibly knocked over a Missouri wide receiver away from the play, which should have resulted in an unnecessary roughness penalty and a free first down and 15-yards. — Ian Miller Outkick, FOXNews.com, 11 Nov. 2026

Only run your heater on a level surface away from high-traffic areas to prevent it from being knocked over or touched. — Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 6 Nov. 2026

Warm mist humidifiers use hot water and can pose a burn risk if knocked over, according to The Thread by Walgreens. — Samantha Agate, Sacbee.com, 5 Nov. 2026

The agents also played simplified sports, using a ring left on the island as a target to throw cubes in from a distance or setting up a rock to knock over cubes arranged like bowling pins. — Will McCurdy, PC Magazine, 26 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1814, in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)

Rhymes for knock over

• carryover
• changeover
• crossover
• cutover
• flashover
• hangover
• holdover
• layover
• leftover
• makeover
• moreover
• passover