knockout

1 of 3

noun

knock·​out ˈnäk-ˌau̇t How to pronounce knockout (audio)
1
a
: the act of knocking out : the condition of being knocked out
b(1)
: the termination of a boxing match when one boxer has been knocked down and is unable to rise and resume boxing within a specified time
c
: a blow that knocks out an opponent
2
: a sensationally striking, appealing, or attractive person or thing

knockout

2 of 3

adjective

1
: causing a knockout
a knockout blow
2
: sensationally striking, appealing, or attractive
a knockout dress
3
: having all or part of a gene eliminated or inactivated by genetic engineering
knockout mice predisposed to diabetes mellitus

knock out

3 of 3

verb

knocked out; knocking out; knocks out

transitive verb

1
: to produce roughly or hastily
2
a(1)
: to defeat (a boxing opponent) by a knockout
(2)
: to make unconscious
the drug knocked him out
b
: to make inoperative or useless
electricity was knocked out by the storm
c
: to get rid of : eliminate
knocked out illegal gambling
3
: to tire out : exhaust
knocked themselves out with work
4
: to cause (an opposing pitcher) to be removed from a baseball game by a batting rally

Examples of knockout in a Sentence

Noun He won the match by a knockout. He scored a knockout in the fourth round. She's a real knockout in that dress. Adjective The Wimbledon tennis tournament is a knockout competition. a knockout sports car that's the talk of the neighborhood Verb the entire staff knocked itself out getting the project finished on time
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
There are more than 30 Land Rovers and Range Rovers going under the gavel at Classic Car Auctions in the U.K. next weekend, but one is a real knockout of a ride. Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 19 Mar. 2024 And from the sax player to the drummer, that band was a knockout. Joe Lynch, Billboard, 20 Feb. 2024 Perhaps the biggest upset came in Group A, where Pot 1 side Papua New Guinea–who had been the runners-up in each edition of the qualification tournament–failed to progress to the knockouts. Neel Shelat, Forbes, 19 Feb. 2024 Instead, Kansas State hung around until the Jayhawks delivered the knockout punch early in the second half. Shreyas Laddha, Kansas City Star, 6 Mar. 2024 This is 14th time the teams have met in the knockout round of a tournament. Damian Calhoun, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Mar. 2024 The top eight teams in the league will qualify automatically for the knockout round, and the teams ranked ninth to 24th will have to compete in a two-legged play-off to determine who also reaches the last 16. George Ramsay, CNN, 5 Mar. 2024 Ghana overturned an early deficit to level the aggregate score in the second half and quickly responded to another Zambian goal, but Barbra Banda delivered the knockout blow deep into stoppage time and sent the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium into raptures. Neel Shelat, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 The Club World Cup rebrand sees a month-long tournament — a group stage and 16-team knockout bracket — played every four years in June-July, starting in 2025 in the United States. Graham Dunbar, USA TODAY, 11 Feb. 2024
Adjective
The knockout blow to the fighter, as Findeisen gleefully pointed out, was the name of the fake NFT project, SourzNFT Candies are Moundbound. Leo Schwartz, Fortune Crypto, 3 Feb. 2023 Addison Rae added to the ever-growing list of knockout vintage Y2K, donning a wrap skirt from Roberto Cavalli’s spring 2000 collection. André-Naquian Wheeler, Vogue, 28 Jan. 2023 Every previous fight was decided by knockout, technical knockout or unanimous decision. Drake Bentley, Journal Sentinel, 24 Jan. 2023 Marchand’s goal on the advantage, the knockout punch for the Fish Sticks, came at 5:03 of the third. Kevin Paul Dupont, BostonGlobe.com, 18 Jan. 2023 Ferreira ended up starting the knockout round match against the Netherlands, an eventual 3-1 defeat for the U.S., but his effect on the game was minimal and he was subbed off to start the second half. Dallas News, 2 Jan. 2023 Then came the knockout punch, delivered by Samuel, who took a short pass 74 yards to the house for a 38-17 lead that placed the game in the blowout category. Chris Bumbaca, USA TODAY, 15 Jan. 2023 Whereas some of these stronger medicines are like a knockout punch, think of CBD as a lullaby that soothes you into sleep and doesn’t just knock you out. Dallas News, 21 Oct. 2022 However, defeats to Portugal (3-2) and Uruguay (2-0) meant Ghana failed to progress to the knockout stage. Robert Kidd, Forbes, 20 Dec. 2022
Verb
For the men's game, at least one 1-seed has been knocked out before the Elite Eight in all but one of the last 14 years. Becky Sullivan, NPR, 23 Mar. 2024 Rob Connor said he had been knocked out twice by snowboarders who hit him from behind. Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 22 Mar. 2024 Fifteen minutes into the debut episode of Julia Louis-Dreyfus’s podcast, the power is knocked out by a bomb cyclone. Caitlin Huston, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Mar. 2024 The movie, directed by Sam Esmail, opens on a world where communication has been knocked out following a cyberattack. Angela Watercutter, WIRED, 8 Mar. 2024 During some of the fight sequences, some characters are knocked out and some are thrown off cliffs into the abyss. Benjamin Vanhoose, Peoplemag, 8 Mar. 2024 In the end she was knocked out in the semifinals by her doubles partner, Pegula, and together they were eliminated from the doubles contest before the semis. Abby Aguirre, Vogue, 6 Mar. 2024 Caltrans outpost affected by storm The storm’s severe winds also knocked out power at Caltrans’ fortified nerve center just west of Donner Pass. Daniel Hunt, Sacramento Bee, 2 Mar. 2024 The practical goal was to knock out Larry Turner, a San Diego police officer and political independent, in the primary. Michael Smolens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'knockout.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1887, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adjective

1818, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1856, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of knockout was in 1818

Dictionary Entries Near knockout

Cite this Entry

“Knockout.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/knockout. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

knockout

1 of 2 noun
knock·​out ˈnäk-ˌau̇t How to pronounce knockout (audio)
1
: the act of knocking out : the condition of being knocked out
2
: something or someone very striking or attractive
knockout adjective

knock out

2 of 2 verb
ˈnäk-ˈau̇t,
näk-ˈau̇t
: to make unconscious

Medical Definition

knockout

adjective
knock·​out ˈnäk-ˌau̇t How to pronounce knockout (audio)
: having all or part of a gene eliminated or inactivated by genetic engineering
knockout mice predisposed to diabetes mellitus serve as animal models in the study of human diabetes

More from Merriam-Webster on knockout

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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