knock·out
ˈnäk-ˌau̇t 
1
a
: the act of knocking out : the condition of being knocked out
b(1)
: the termination of a boxing match when one boxer has been knocked down and is unable to rise and resume boxing within a specified time
(2)
c
: a blow that knocks out an opponent
2
: a sensationally striking, appealing, or attractive person or thing
1
: causing a knockout
a knockout blow
2
: sensationally striking, appealing, or attractive
a knockout dress
3
: having all or part of a gene eliminated or inactivated by genetic engineering
knockout mice predisposed to diabetes mellitus
knocked out; knocking out; knocks out
1
: to produce roughly or hastily
2
a(1)
: to defeat (a boxing opponent) by a knockout
(2)
: to make unconscious
the drug knocked him out
b
: to make inoperative or useless
electricity was knocked out by the storm
c
: to get rid of : eliminate
knocked out illegal gambling
3
: to tire out : exhaust
knocked themselves out with work
4
: to cause (an opposing pitcher) to be removed from a baseball game by a batting rally
Synonyms
Noun
- babe [slang]
- beauty
- beauty queen
- cookie
- cooky
- cutie
- cutey
- dolly bird [British]
- enchantress
- eyeful
- fox
- goddess
- honey
- queen
- stunner
Adjective
- aesthetic
- esthetic
- aesthetical
- esthetical
- attractive
- beauteous
- beautiful
- bonny [chiefly British]
- bonnie
- comely
- cute
- drop-dead
- fair
- fetching
- good
- good-looking
- goodly
- gorgeous
- handsome
- likely
- lovely
- lovesome
- pretty
- ravishing
- seemly
- sightly
- stunning
- taking
- well-favored
Verb
Examples of knockout in a Sentence
Noun
He won the match by a knockout.
He scored a knockout in the fourth round.
She's a real knockout in that dress.
Adjective
The Wimbledon tennis tournament is a knockout competition.
a knockout sports car that's the talk of the neighborhood
Verb
the entire staff knocked itself out getting the project finished on time
Recent Examples on the Web
Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 10 May 2024
One goal was all San Jose would need to advance past its East Bay opponent in a 1-0 victory in the US Open Cup knockout tournament game.
—Joseph Dycus, The Mercury News, 7 May 2024
As if the dress wasn't dazzling enough, Lopez sported a knockout set of Tiffany & Co. jewels, including a bracelet, earrings and a statement necklace adorned with one large diamond more than 20 carats.
—Erin Clack, Peoplemag, 7 May 2024
However, Munguía has a higher knockout rate with about 79%, compared to Canelo’s 65% KO rate.
—Rudie Obias, Variety, 4 May 2024
The risk was worth taking against a semi-pro team trekking north for the knockout game.
—Daniel Sperry, Kansas City Star, 3 May 2024
He is known as arguably the biggest knockout artist in MMA history for the power in his right hand.
—Doha Madani, NBC News, 30 Apr. 2024
This hotel offers a knockout beachfront location, offering guests direct access to the peaceful Royal Coconut Coast.
—Alesandra Dubin, Travel + Leisure, 26 Apr. 2024
Alas, Astrov and Vanya are both lusting after Elena (Rose), the knockout younger wife of Alexander (Alfred Molina), an ailing professor who owns the countryside manor.
—Patrick Ryan, USA TODAY, 25 Apr. 2024
Leo Schwartz, Fortune Crypto, 3 Feb. 2023
Addison Rae added to the ever-growing list of knockout vintage Y2K, donning a wrap skirt from Roberto Cavalli’s spring 2000 collection.
—André-Naquian Wheeler, Vogue, 28 Jan. 2023
Every previous fight was decided by knockout, technical knockout or unanimous decision.
—Drake Bentley, Journal Sentinel, 24 Jan. 2023
Marchand’s goal on the advantage, the knockout punch for the Fish Sticks, came at 5:03 of the third.
—Kevin Paul Dupont, BostonGlobe.com, 18 Jan. 2023
Ferreira ended up starting the knockout round match against the Netherlands, an eventual 3-1 defeat for the U.S., but his effect on the game was minimal and he was subbed off to start the second half.
—Dallas News, 2 Jan. 2023
Then came the knockout punch, delivered by Samuel, who took a short pass 74 yards to the house for a 38-17 lead that placed the game in the blowout category.
—Chris Bumbaca, USA TODAY, 15 Jan. 2023
Whereas some of these stronger medicines are like a knockout punch, think of CBD as a lullaby that soothes you into sleep and doesn’t just knock you out.
—Dallas News, 21 Oct. 2022
However, defeats to Portugal (3-2) and Uruguay (2-0) meant Ghana failed to progress to the knockout stage.
—Robert Kidd, Forbes, 20 Dec. 2022
USA TODAY, 28 Apr. 2024
Brent Rooker hit a three-run homer in the sixth that knocked out New York starter Clarke Schmidt and tightened the game to 5-3 after a Soto sacrifice fly and Rizzo’s home run, but that was the only scoring play for the A’s.
—Staff and Wire Reports, The Mercury News, 25 Apr. 2024
If Iran continues with its endless wars in the region, Israel might have no choice but to knock out Iran’s military bases and put its nuclear program out of business.
—Letters To The Editor, Orange County Register, 22 Apr. 2024
The Hyundai is designed to knock out two grueling ‘Ring laps, recharge in 18 minutes, and do it all over again.
—IEEE Spectrum, 17 Apr. 2024
State women's teams were knocked out, paving the way for Iowa to face off against South Carolina in the women's championship.
—NBC News, 7 Apr. 2024
Yet, unlike China, the United States does not have a Plan B for civilians should those signals get knocked out in space or on land.
—Chris Buckley, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2024
The outcome of the Jan. 6 case could knock out half of the federal charges against Trump in another case, in which he is accused of plotting to subvert the 2020 election, the New York Times reported.
—Martha Ross, The Mercury News, 15 Apr. 2024
Russia’s bombardment of Ukrainian energy sites has been larger and better planned than the attacks in the previous two years, knocking out generating facilities and limiting power supplies.
—Daryna Krasnolutska, Fortune, 13 Apr. 2024
Noun
Still, what a compelling night, thanks in no small measure to a knockout lead performance from Claudia Quesada in the role of an immigration agent whose decisions catch up to her.
—Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 10 May 2024
One goal was all San Jose would need to advance past its East Bay opponent in a 1-0 victory in the US Open Cup knockout tournament game.
—Joseph Dycus, The Mercury News, 7 May 2024
As if the dress wasn't dazzling enough, Lopez sported a knockout set of Tiffany & Co. jewels, including a bracelet, earrings and a statement necklace adorned with one large diamond more than 20 carats.
—Erin Clack, Peoplemag, 7 May 2024
However, Munguía has a higher knockout rate with about 79%, compared to Canelo’s 65% KO rate.
—Rudie Obias, Variety, 4 May 2024
The risk was worth taking against a semi-pro team trekking north for the knockout game.
—Daniel Sperry, Kansas City Star, 3 May 2024
He is known as arguably the biggest knockout artist in MMA history for the power in his right hand.
—Doha Madani, NBC News, 30 Apr. 2024
This hotel offers a knockout beachfront location, offering guests direct access to the peaceful Royal Coconut Coast.
—Alesandra Dubin, Travel + Leisure, 26 Apr. 2024
Alas, Astrov and Vanya are both lusting after Elena (Rose), the knockout younger wife of Alexander (Alfred Molina), an ailing professor who owns the countryside manor.
—Patrick Ryan, USA TODAY, 25 Apr. 2024
Adjective
The knockout blow to the fighter, as Findeisen gleefully pointed out, was the name of the fake NFT project, SourzNFT Candies are Moundbound.
—Leo Schwartz, Fortune Crypto, 3 Feb. 2023
Addison Rae added to the ever-growing list of knockout vintage Y2K, donning a wrap skirt from Roberto Cavalli’s spring 2000 collection.
—André-Naquian Wheeler, Vogue, 28 Jan. 2023
Every previous fight was decided by knockout, technical knockout or unanimous decision.
—Drake Bentley, Journal Sentinel, 24 Jan. 2023
Marchand’s goal on the advantage, the knockout punch for the Fish Sticks, came at 5:03 of the third.
—Kevin Paul Dupont, BostonGlobe.com, 18 Jan. 2023
Ferreira ended up starting the knockout round match against the Netherlands, an eventual 3-1 defeat for the U.S., but his effect on the game was minimal and he was subbed off to start the second half.
—Dallas News, 2 Jan. 2023
Then came the knockout punch, delivered by Samuel, who took a short pass 74 yards to the house for a 38-17 lead that placed the game in the blowout category.
—Chris Bumbaca, USA TODAY, 15 Jan. 2023
Whereas some of these stronger medicines are like a knockout punch, think of CBD as a lullaby that soothes you into sleep and doesn’t just knock you out.
—Dallas News, 21 Oct. 2022
However, defeats to Portugal (3-2) and Uruguay (2-0) meant Ghana failed to progress to the knockout stage.
—Robert Kidd, Forbes, 20 Dec. 2022
Verb
Read more Tornadoes and storms blast Midwest A swath of the Midwest braced for more deadly storms after brutal weather blasted across the Plains, killing at least four people in Oklahoma, destroying homes and knocking out power to tens of thousands.
—USA TODAY, 28 Apr. 2024
Brent Rooker hit a three-run homer in the sixth that knocked out New York starter Clarke Schmidt and tightened the game to 5-3 after a Soto sacrifice fly and Rizzo’s home run, but that was the only scoring play for the A’s.
—Staff and Wire Reports, The Mercury News, 25 Apr. 2024
If Iran continues with its endless wars in the region, Israel might have no choice but to knock out Iran’s military bases and put its nuclear program out of business.
—Letters To The Editor, Orange County Register, 22 Apr. 2024
The Hyundai is designed to knock out two grueling ‘Ring laps, recharge in 18 minutes, and do it all over again.
—IEEE Spectrum, 17 Apr. 2024
State women's teams were knocked out, paving the way for Iowa to face off against South Carolina in the women's championship.
—NBC News, 7 Apr. 2024
Yet, unlike China, the United States does not have a Plan B for civilians should those signals get knocked out in space or on land.
—Chris Buckley, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2024
The outcome of the Jan. 6 case could knock out half of the federal charges against Trump in another case, in which he is accused of plotting to subvert the 2020 election, the New York Times reported.
—Martha Ross, The Mercury News, 15 Apr. 2024
Russia’s bombardment of Ukrainian energy sites has been larger and better planned than the attacks in the previous two years, knocking out generating facilities and limiting power supplies.
—Daryna Krasnolutska, Fortune, 13 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'knockout.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near knockout
Cite this Entry
“Knockout.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/knockout. Accessed 15 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
knockout
1 of 2 noun
knock·out
ˈnäk-ˌau̇t
1
: the act of knocking out : the condition of being knocked out
2
: something or someone very striking or attractive
knockout
adjective
knock out
2 of 2 verbˈnäk-ˈau̇t,
näk-ˈau̇t
: to make unconscious
Medical Definition
knockout
adjective
knock·out
ˈnäk-ˌau̇t
: having all or part of a gene eliminated or inactivated by genetic engineering
knockout mice predisposed to diabetes mellitus serve as animal models in the study of human diabetes
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share