knock (something) on the head

phrase

British, informal

: to cause the end or failure of (something)

The closing of the airport knocked our holiday plans on the head.

Examples of knock (something) on the head in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

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Thanks to a knock on the head in the pilot episode, only one of the living spouses can see and talk to the ghosts. — John Jurgensen, WSJ, 22 Apr. 2022

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“Knock (something) on the head.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/knock%20%28something%29%20on%20the%20head. Accessed 27 Sep. 2026.

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