knock up

Definition of knock upnext
British
as in to wake
to cause to stop sleeping I asked the clerk at the hotel to knock me up at 7:00 a.m.

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of knock up The pair collided with such force that Dumoulin got knocked up about two feet in the air before landing hard on his padded backside. — Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 27 Apr. 2026 Meanwhile, while Miranda busies herself with building a pageant empire, her husband Ray, a pill-popping nurse, has knocked up the 18-year-old granddaughter of one of his hospice patients. — Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 28 Aug. 2025 Julia, worried, maintains that she’s not knocked up. — Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 15 Aug. 2025 With 200 hp worth of empty space to play with before knocking up against the 600-hp V12 Verado, Mercury is dialing up the overall output of the V10 range by adding a new 425-hp variant as the flagship of the family. — New Atlas, 12 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for knock up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for knock up
Verb
  • She was woken by Lizzie after the discovery of Andrew’s body and went to get the doctor.
    — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Even among those who manage to go to bed at a reasonable hour, sleep quality was found to significantly affect personal health, suggesting that those who wake frequently may also have reasons for concern.
    — Mike McRae September 17, New Atlas, 17 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • As desire awakens, so does the fear that her new lover may be her husband’s killer.
    — Katherine Brodsky, Variety, 18 Sep. 2026
  • One national showdown and several sleeping giants trying to awaken highlight the Week 5 slate in Georgia high school football.
    — Jack Leo, AJC.com, 18 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Back in 2018, Tarantino reportedly awoke in the middle of the night to find two burglars inside his home.
    — Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Alice gets to keep her leg, albeit with extensive scarring, and Anna does her best to forget about the sacrificial part of the pact until she is awoken one night by a noise downstairs.
    — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 8 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Knock up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/knock%20up. Accessed 24 Sep. 2026.

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