knock

1 of 2

verb

ˈnäk 

knocked; knocking; knocks

intransitive verb

1

: to strike something with a sharp blow

2

: to collide with something

3

a

: bustle

heard them knocking around in the kitchen

b

: wander

knocked about Europe all summer

4

a

: to make a pounding noise

b

: to have engine knock

5

: to find fault

transitive verb

1

a(1)

: to strike sharply

(2)

: to drive, force, or make by or as if by so striking

was knocked out of the campaign

b

: to set forcibly in motion with a blow

2

: to cause to collide

3

: to find fault with

always knocking those in authority

knock

2 of 2

noun

1

a

: a sharp blow : rap, hit

a loud knock on the door

b(1)

: a severe misfortune or hardship

(2)

: setback, reversal

2

a

: a pounding noise

b

: a sharp repetitive metallic noise caused by abnormal ignition in an automobile engine

3

: a harsh and often petty criticism

the knock on him was that he couldn't handle the pressure

Phrases

knock cold

: knock out sense 2a(1)

knock dead

: to move strongly especially to admiration or applause

a comedian who really knocks them dead

knock for a loop

1

a

: overcome

knocked my opponent for a loop

b

: demolish

knocked our idea for a loop

2

: dumbfound, amaze

the news knocked them for a loop

knock one's socks off

: to overwhelm or amaze one

a performance that will knock your socks off

knock on wood

—used interjectionally to ward off misfortune

knock together

: to make or assemble especially hurriedly or in a makeshift way

knocked together my own bookcase

Synonyms

Verb

• bang
• bash
• bump
• collide
• crash
• hit
• impact
• impinge
• ram
• slam
• smash
• strike
• swipe
• thud

Noun

• bang
• bash
• bat
• beat
• belt
• biff
• blow
• bop
• box
• buffet
• bust
• chop
• clap
• clip
• clout
• crack
• cuff
• dab
• douse [British]
• fillip
• hack
• haymaker
• hit
• hook
• larrup [dialect]
• lash
• lick
• pelt
• pick
• plump
• poke
• pound
• punch
• rap
• slam
• slap
• slug
• smack
• smash
• sock
• spank
• stinger
• stripe
• stroke
• swat
• swipe
• switch
• thud
• thump
• thwack
• wallop
• welt
• whack
• wham
• whop
• whap

Examples of knock in a Sentence

Verb

The ball knocked him on the chin.

She knocked the glass from his hand.

He knocked the baseball over the fence.

The ball hit him in the mouth and knocked out one of his teeth.

The wind knocked him backwards.

The dog knocked against the lamp.

My knee accidentally knocked against the table.

Skaters were knocking into each other all over the ice.

I accidentally knocked my knee against the table.

Noun

He gave him a knock on the head.

There was a loud knock at the door.

She took some knocks early in her career.

He likes praise but can't stand the knocks.

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Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Olivia Rodrigo knocked it out of the park on her first try, with her instant classic of a debut, Sour. —Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 8 Sep. 2023

Since then, a long line of foreign dignitaries have knocked on Beijing’s door to meet Xi, including G20 leaders from Germany, France, Brazil, Indonesia and the EU, as well as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. —Nectar Gan, CNN, 8 Sep. 2023

But, despite all the doors knocked and the tens of millions spent in the state, DeSantis trails Trump by over 20 points in Iowa polling, according to a late August poll by the Des Moines Register. —Aaron Navarro, CBS News, 7 Sep. 2023

Then, a hit from the Crimson Tide’s Dallas Turner knocked him out of the game. —Matt Stahl | [e-mail], al, 6 Sep. 2023

They can be placed anywhere, from tables to the porch floor, without having to worry about someone accidentally knocking them over. —Amy Schulman, Peoplemag, 6 Sep. 2023

In his first game after coming out, Nassib forced a key fumble in a Monday Night Football game against the Baltimore Ravens, knocking the ball loose from quarterback Lamar Jackson and setting up the Raiders' game-winning touchdown. —Steve Gardner, USA TODAY, 6 Sep. 2023

Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi, and Virginia created holiday packages resembling a prizefight that ends with an embrace between boxers who have been trying to knock each other out. —Ron Grossman, Chicago Tribune, 3 Sep. 2023

The Huskies picked up two first downs and knocked 2½ minutes off the clock, but gave the Eagles the ball back with 3:23 left at BC’s 17. —Trevor Hass, BostonGlobe.com, 2 Sep. 2023

Noun

Spagnoli obviously doesn’t view the shared commitment as a knock on what either running back can’t do. —Steve Reaven, Chicago Tribune, 7 Sep. 2023

That’s less of a knock on JetBlue and more of a testament to just how high the airline has raised the bar on catering. —Chris Dong, Travel + Leisure, 30 Aug. 2023

The Colorado Republican’s comments on Trump is an unusual knock on the former president considering Buck is a member of the House Freedom Caucus, a group comprised of the House’s most conservative lawmakers. —Ken Tran, USA TODAY, 25 Aug. 2023

And in my opinion—and this is no knock on the Parisians or anyone from big cities. —Ilana Kaplan, Peoplemag, 18 Aug. 2023

The knock: Hall of Famer and Chargers quarterback Dan Fouts gave the news to the Coryell family that the coach made the hall. —Marc Bona, cleveland, 4 Aug. 2023

The broader industrial sector, which includes Germany’s famed manufacturers such as Volkswagen and Siemens, has also taken a knock. —Anna Cooban, CNN, 24 Aug. 2023

Outlook Perhaps the biggest knock against Milroe and freshman Ty Simpson was that if one of them was going to make the leap in performance, Alabama would’ve liked to see it by now. —Nick Alvarez | [e-mail], al, 18 Aug. 2023

Mountcastle’s go-ahead knock was his second hit of the night, giving him half of Baltimore’s total. —Nathan Ruiz, Baltimore Sun, 13 Aug. 2023

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Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English knoken, from Old English cnocian; akin to Middle High German knochen to press

First Known Use

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing knock

• knock it out of the park
• knock on the door of
• knock on doors
• knock oneself out
• knock (someone) off his/her pedestal
• knock out
• knock over
• throw/knock (someone) off (his/her) stride
• take/knock/bring someone down a peg
• anti-knock
• knock back
• knock/blow someone's socks off
• hit/knock (someone) for six
• knock-on effect
• hard-knock
• knock some sense into someone's head
• knock the stuffing out of
• knock-down, drag-out
• knock-knee
• knock (someone) sideways
• knock (something) on the head
• knock around
• knock someone flying
• knock in
• knock off
• don't knock it until you've tried it
• knock down
• knock heads
• knock dead
• knock-knock joke
• knock-down-and-drag-out
• knock on wood
• knock the wind out of (someone)
• knock spots off
• knock cold
• knock up
• knock someone's head/block off
• knock some sense into someone
• knock together
• knock for a loop
• knock one's socks off

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• knock it out of the park
• knock on the door of
• knock on doors
• knock oneself out
• knock (someone) off his/her pedestal
• knock out
• knock over
• throw/knock (someone) off (his/her) stride
• take/knock/bring someone down a peg
• anti-knock
• knock back
• knock/blow someone's socks off
• hit/knock (someone) for six
• knock-on effect
• hard-knock
• knock some sense into someone's head
• knock the stuffing out of
• knock-down, drag-out
• knock-knee
• knock (someone) sideways
• knock (something) on the head
• knock around
• knock someone flying
• knock in
• knock off
• don't knock it until you've tried it
• knock down
• knock heads
• knock dead
• knock-knock joke
• knock-down-and-drag-out
• knock on wood
• knock the wind out of (someone)
• knock spots off
• knock cold
• knock up
• knock someone's head/block off
• knock some sense into someone
• knock together
• knock for a loop
• knock one's socks off

See More

Kids Definition

knock

1 of 2 verb

ˈnäk 

1

a

: to strike with a sharp blow

b

: to set in motion with a sharp blow

2

: to bump against something

3

: wander sense 1

knocked about the country last summer

4

: to have engine knock

5

: to find fault with

don't knock it—there are worse jobs

knock

2 of 2 noun

1

: a sharp blow

2

: a severe misfortune or hardship

3

a

: a pounding noise

heard a knock on the door

b

: a sharp rattling noise caused by abnormal ignition in an automobile engine

Medical Definition

knock

noun

ˈnäk 

1

: a sharp blow

a knock to the head

2

: a sharp pounding noise