1
as in to bump
to come into usually forceful contact with something
my knee knocked against the table leg when I tried to get up quickly
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to hit
to deliver a blow to (someone or something) usually in a strong vigorous manner
threatened to knock him upside the head if he didn't do as he was told
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in to blame
to express one's unfavorable opinion of the worth or quality of
hey, don't knock it until you've tried it
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in blow
a hard strike with a part of the body or an instrument
gave the door a good knock
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2
as in misfortune
bad luck or an example of this
getting his college degree was a six year adventure not without its share of knocks along the way
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in setback
a change in status for the worse usually temporarily
the geneticist's reputation took a knock when several of his peers were unable to confirm his research findings
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of knock
CBS News,
1 July 2026
Kale said her 11-year-old and 16-year-old sons knocked the bat off her and killed it.
—
Kelli Arseneau,
USA Today,
1 July 2026
Michele Laufik,
Martha Stewart,
15 June 2026
None of this is a knock on the work.
—
Clayton Davis,
Variety,
13 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for knock
Verb
Tatis led off and knocked Boyd's fifth pitch over the left-field bleachers onto Waveland Avenue, before Chicago answered in the bottom of the inning when Seiya Suzuki scored on Carson Kelly's RBI single.
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CBS News,
1 July 2026
Kale said her 11-year-old and 16-year-old sons knocked the bat off her and killed it.
—
Kelli Arseneau,
USA Today,
1 July 2026
Noun
Because of the totes' popularity, knock-off versions are being sold online, leading Trader Joe's to file a lawsuit.
—
Michele Laufik,
Martha Stewart,
15 June 2026
None of this is a knock on the work.
—
Clayton Davis,
Variety,
13 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for knock
Recent Examples of Synonyms for knock
Verb
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My first glimpse of an elephant came as our safari game viewer bumped along the road from the airstrip to camp.
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Tea leaves provide natural acidity to plants that enjoy the boost and can bump nitrogen levels when added to compost.
Verb
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Against Cardinals’ starting pitcher Matthew Liberatore, the Braves mustered just one hit and one run through five innings of an eventual 5-3 loss.
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Thomas had hit a leadoff double, but Michael Massey, Salvador Perez and John Rave failed to drive him in.
Verb
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Before the earthquakes, the government generally defended its national health system as robust, blaming shortcomings on sanctions imposed by the United States.
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This ruling compels companies to confront systemic biases embedded in their hiring data, rather than solely blaming technology.
Noun
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While dealing real damage, Moscow’s ability to adapt has prevented Ukraine’s drone campaign from dealing the decisive blow Kyiv’s allies had hoped.
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Apple could still handle the iPhone differently by raising only Pro model prices, adjusting storage tiers, leaning on carrier promotions or pushing trade-in offers harder to soften the blow.
Noun
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For some reason, the Lions have long been plagued by misfortune on their defense, especially in the secondary.
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There’s Kimi Antonelli’s sudden rise, which so far seems to be one for the ages, while George Russell’s run of misfortune is certainly captivating.
Noun
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The Colorado Supreme Court on Monday delivered a major setback to ballot measures aimed at handing Democrats as many of seven of Colorado's eight Congressional seats.
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The rulings marked another setback for Democrats in a nationwide redistricting battle that could affect control of Congress.
Verb
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Gently bang pan on counter 2–3 times to eliminate any large air bubbles.
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Haaland and his teammates sat on the wet pitch as Ødegaard banged the drum.
Verb
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Would love to see what happens if Daemon tries to slap Hugh.
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So, the inspector held a Stop Sale party, slapping them on dumplings, two groups of sprouts, three groups of shrimp, and eggs, chicken, beef, pork, noodles, cabbage, pasta and ham.
Cite this Entry
“Knock.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/knock. Accessed 3 Jul. 2026.
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