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
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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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Ca Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 5 Nov. 2025
Once the buzz starts, fringe brands come knocking.
—Chris Cardillo, Rolling Stone, 5 Nov. 2025
Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 27 Oct. 2025
With Mason Mount ruled out after suffering a knock there was a tweak to the front three, with Benjamin Sesko returning to the centre-forward role alongside Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha, the No 10s.
—Carl Anka, New York Times, 26 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for knock
Verb
Even 6 inches of swiftly moving water can forcefully knock you off your feet.
—Ca Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 5 Nov. 2025
Once the buzz starts, fringe brands come knocking.
—Chris Cardillo, Rolling Stone, 5 Nov. 2025
Noun
That’s not a knock at all, star rating aside; the show is just settling into a more consistent groove, and for me, that means this episode lacks a little of the surprise of the previous weeks.
—Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 27 Oct. 2025
With Mason Mount ruled out after suffering a knock there was a tweak to the front three, with Benjamin Sesko returning to the centre-forward role alongside Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha, the No 10s.
—Carl Anka, New York Times, 26 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for knock
Recent Examples of Synonyms for knock
Verb
-
Shakey’s motors would then follow this route, using its camera, range-finder sensors, and bump detectors to monitor its progress toward the goal.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
4 Nov. 2025
-
Kylie's debut dethroned Joe Rogan, bumping The Joe Rogan Experience down to the second spot.—
Zoey Lyttle,
PEOPLE,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Shein—a global fast-fashion juggernaut headquartered in Singapore—was mere days away from opening its first physical store in Paris, inside the BHV Marais department store, when the news hit.—
Andrew Nusca,
Fortune,
4 Nov. 2025
-
Rojas, a light-hitting infielder, hit an unexpected home run in the ninth inning of Game Seven to tie it and force extra innings, when the Dodgers won it.—
Steve Futterman,
NPR,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Congressional Republican leaders have even begun blaming him for the federal government shutdown.—
Ben Adler,
USA Today,
2 Nov. 2025
-
Several reasons were to blame for the scary-low turnout, including a dearth of new releases as well as the misfortune of Halloween landing on a Friday, which meant families were distracted by trick-or-treating.—
Rebecca Rubin,
Variety,
2 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
The first accounts of cheating and payoffs during exam week surfaced—a blow to the belief in fairness on which the whole system of guilds depended.—
George Packer,
The Atlantic,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Google had hoped to void those changes with an appeal, but the ruling issued in July by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals delivered a legal blow for the tech giant, which has been waylaid in three separate antitrust trials affecting different pillars of its internet empire.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Circumstances favoured them, but Bowen’s early misfortune and a West Ham penalty award which was overturned by VAR scarcely influenced them.—
George Caulkin,
New York Times,
3 Nov. 2025
-
Several reasons were to blame for the scary-low turnout, including a dearth of new releases as well as the misfortune of Halloween landing on a Friday, which meant families were distracted by trick-or-treating.—
Rebecca Rubin,
Variety,
2 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Hurricane Melissa is a major setback for the country’s all-important tourism industry.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
3 Nov. 2025
-
Yet, despite this military setback, the militia in Lebanon shows no intention of relinquishing its weapons.—
Benjamin Weinthal,
FOXNews.com,
2 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
The legendary Public Enemy rapper and dating show debutante served as the guest judge on Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Night, in which the eight remaining couples hit the floor with head-banging routines set to a litany of iconic anthems.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
5 Nov. 2025
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If someone does encounter a coyote, officials said to scare away the animal by yelling, using airhorns, banging pots and pans or throwing objects.—
Megan Forrester,
ABC News,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The elder Ciattarelli slapped his forward with his right hand as his son, dressed in camouflage fatigues, approached for a hug.—
Bart Jansen,
USA Today,
3 Nov. 2025
-
One columnist with the New Pittsburgh Courier even slapped Whyte’s label on the United Nations, suggesting that countries, like individuals, had a primal aversion to yielding their sovereignty to the groupthink of world governance.—
David Merritt Johns,
The Atlantic,
2 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Knock.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/knock. Accessed 9 Nov. 2025.
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