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

In Latakia, a giant bronze figure was knocked over and then dragged through the streets as people straddled its head like a Jet Ski. —Gal Beckerman, The Atlantic, 8 Feb. 2026

Police investigated the scene and found that several shelves were damaged, a couch had more than a dozen puncture wounds, pictures had been knocked over, and a pair of athletic shorts were found on the floor. —Patrick Damp, CBS News, 4 Feb. 2026

Hilarity and love ensue — until her new significant other is knocked over by Carpenters’ fans. —Brian Steinberg, Variety, 3 Feb. 2026

In a game a year before Dunleavy brushed off getting knocked over by Antetokounmpo in the playoffs, he got tangled up with then-Sacramento Kings big man DeMarcus Cousins. —Nick Friedell, New York Times, 1 Feb. 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