knock over

verb

knocked over; knocking over; knocks over

transitive verb

1
a(1)
: to strike to the ground : fell
(2)
: overwhelm
was knocked over by the news
b
: eliminate
knocked over every difficulty
2
a
: steal
especially : hijack
knocks over a truckload of merchandise J. B. Martin
b
: rob
knocking over a bank

Examples of knock over in a Sentence

he knocked over six convenience stores before getting caught knocked me over trying to get out the door
Recent Examples on the Web Power outages surge across Northeast While heavy rain moved out of the area early Wednesday, more than 140,000 are without power in New York State after gusts of up to 60 mph knocked over power lines and downed trees. Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY, 10 Jan. 2024 But by the following morning, Kevin had knocked over a post and fled into the woods around the family of three’s property, Rumbaugh shared to a Facebook group dedicated to the pig’s return. Sabrina Weiss, Peoplemag, 20 Oct. 2023 The cat can inspire the human by knocking over the paint and walking on the canvas, getting paw prints all over it. Gieson Cacho, The Mercury News, 21 Mar. 2024 With the score tied at 1-1, Jansen came running out of his area to clear a pass that had been played towards his goal and got knocked over in the process by Amsterdamsche forward Marciano Mengerink. Matias Grez, CNN, 10 Feb. 2024 Com Arena and reportedly bumped into or knocked over the guard. Chris Gardner, The Hollywood Reporter, 5 Feb. 2024 It’s made from BPA-free, food-safe Tritan plastic—a durable, clear material that won’t break, even if the dispenser is knocked over. Amanda Ogle, Southern Living, 5 Dec. 2023 Some high-rises have been knocked over completely and most small buildings have been reduced to mounds of rubble. Vasco Cotovio, CNN, 16 Feb. 2024 Now with 28 changes this cycle, and Michigan still open to potentially — if not likely — knock over more dominos, this will go down as one of the wilder hiring seasons in recent memory. Ralph D. Russo, USA TODAY, 25 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'knock over.' 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

circa 1814, in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)

Time Traveler
The first known use of knock over was circa 1814

Dictionary Entries Near knock over

Cite this Entry

“Knock over.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/knock%20over. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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