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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of knock
Carly Thomas, HollywoodReporter, 1 Oct. 2025
Bubba purposefully knocks a girl down with a dodgeball, and when Mary tells him to stop being mean, Bubba punches her.
—Victoria Edel, PEOPLE, 1 Oct. 2025
Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 23 Sep. 2025
When a knock wakes Tom, he’s given a startling revelation by a fellow cop.
—Grace Byron, Vulture, 22 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for knock
Verb
But as labels reduced their requests, other players came knocking.
—Carly Thomas, HollywoodReporter, 1 Oct. 2025
Bubba purposefully knocks a girl down with a dodgeball, and when Mary tells him to stop being mean, Bubba punches her.
—Victoria Edel, PEOPLE, 1 Oct. 2025
Noun
The only knock on Trout is his lack of playoff success.
—Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 23 Sep. 2025
When a knock wakes Tom, he’s given a startling revelation by a fellow cop.
—Grace Byron, Vulture, 22 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for knock
Recent Examples of Synonyms for knock
Verb
-
Létrange first bumped into Girbaud in 2002 while crossing Mexico City in his Land Rover.—
Sandra Salibian,
Footwear News,
8 Oct. 2025
-
If the Senators are committed to Giroux in a third-line role, Amadio could always be bumped to a fourth-line spot to the right of Lars Eller and Nick Cousins.—
Julian McKenzie,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The ball popped up in the air and Bolton was there to grab it, except he was hit by teammate Drue Tranquill.—
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
7 Oct. 2025
-
Hikers hit Goat Trail Hill 'n Dale Hiking Club will hike Thursday along the Goat Trail to Steel Creek on the Buffalo National River.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
7 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Some of their struggles can be blamed on a tough slate of defenses.—
Michael Salfino,
New York Times,
6 Oct. 2025
-
Real leadership requires a basic understanding of facts and a desire to do more than just blame others.—
Jade Jackson,
IndyStar,
5 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Yes, the Seahawks entered the game short-handed in the secondary, then suffered another blow when cornerback Riq Woolen suffered a concussion in the third quarter.—
Michael-Shawn Dugar,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
-
Business is booming, but President Chris Kohnle worries the 80-year-old, family-run establishment could soon take a blow.—
Miranda Dunlap,
jsonline.com,
6 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Amid the Mets' misfortunes, Michael Kay, a radio host and play-by-play announcer for the New York Yankees, decided to weigh in.—
Chantz Martin,
FOXNews.com,
30 Sep. 2025
-
Unimaginable misfortunes have the Ravens in this precarious situation, and certainly could continue.—
Mike Jones,
New York Times,
29 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Everything has broken right for Egbuka since the moment he was drafted, with Chris Godwin having a setback from his 2024 injury, Jalen McMillan severely injuring his neck and then Mike Evans succumbing to his annual hamstring injury.—
Michael Salfino,
New York Times,
6 Oct. 2025
-
The next year Jackson suffered a personal and professional setback.—
Jean Casarez,
CNN Money,
5 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
For many, banging them in against the likes of Konyaspor and Goztepe last term is not a convincing retort to those questions.—
Nick Miller,
New York Times,
1 Oct. 2025
-
If all of this were a subtle read of the American mainstream media’s inadequacy in covering Palestine with any amount of empathy, or its eagerness to bang the drum in support of America’s war games, that would be an unexpected, refreshingly subversive perspective.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
26 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Lawrence attempted to go over the pile on a fourth-down snap from the 1-yard line, but Bolton greeted him there, slapping the ball away and forcing a fumble inches before the ball reached the line.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
7 Oct. 2025
-
After Demercado gave up the ball too early, Gannon is seen in the video walking by him and appearing to slap his arm — while his teammates console the TCU product.—
Anna Lazarus Caplan,
PEOPLE,
7 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Knock.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/knock. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.
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