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

Synonyms of knock over

• rob
• steal (from)

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

Again, the bots were not always gainly—one viral video showed a humanoid veering off a running track and knocking over a human spectator—but the atmosphere was one of dynamism and experimentation. —James Vincent, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025

Use containers with tight-fitting lids to prevent spills in case they are knocked over. —Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 28 Dec. 2025

An arrest has been made after a man was caught on video knocking over and vandalizing a menorah outside the Miami-Dade County Tax Collector's Office on Monday night, police confirmed. —Steven Yablonski, CBS News, 23 Dec. 2025

The two appear to be enjoying a bottle of Clé Cachée in the scene, which Haack seemingly knocked over in the heat of the moment. —Natalia Senanayake, PEOPLE, 12 Dec. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

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

Rhymes for knock over

• carryover
• changeover
• crossover
• cutover
• flashover
• hangover
• holdover
• layover
• leftover
• makeover
• moreover
• passover