knockdown

1 of 3

adjective

knock·​down ˈnäk-ˌdau̇n How to pronounce knockdown (audio)
1
: having such force as to strike down or overwhelm
a bewildering assortment of knockdown argumentsJ. W. Krutch
2
: that can easily be assembled or disassembled
a knockdown table
3
chiefly British : extremely low : reduced
knockdown prices

knockdown

2 of 3

noun

1
: the action of knocking down
2
: something (such as a blow) that strikes down or overwhelms
3
: something (such as a piece of furniture) that can be easily assembled or disassembled

knock down

3 of 3

verb

knocked down; knocking down; knocks down

transitive verb

1
: to strike to the ground with or as if with a sharp blow : fell
2
: to dispose of (an item) to a bidder at an auction sale
3
: to take apart : disassemble
4
: to receive as income or salary : earn
positions where they were able to knock down good moneyInfantry Journal
5
: reduce
knocked the price down
6
basketball, informal : to succeed in making (a jump shot or foul shot)
She scored 10 points on the night with three assists. She also knocked down three out of four free-throw attempts.Niki Herbert
Pierce faked right, drove left, turned and knocked down a fadeaway jumper.Jason Mastrodonato

Examples of knockdown in a Sentence

Adjective Now's your chance to buy these items at knockdown prices! Verb she's knocking down a good salary, but she has to work very hard right after the holidays the stores start to knock down the window displays
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
The Suns need another knockdown shooter and could use a versatile four. Duane Rankin, The Arizona Republic, 8 Feb. 2023 That competitive mariachi exists is a knockdown effect of this. Los Angeles Times, 26 Jan. 2023 When the American Civil Liberties Union agreed to represent Collin, a philosophical dispute became a knockdown, drag-out battle. Ron Grossman, Chicago Tribune, 22 Jan. 2023 They are not blessed with knockdown shooters outside of senior guard David Singleton. Staff Writer follow, Los Angeles Times, 16 Jan. 2023 From dilapidated homes selling for little more than a dollar, to ready-to-occupy houses at knockdown prices, there's been a frenzy of competition. Silvia Marchetti, CNN, 18 Nov. 2022 The 6-foot-8 Grant has provided energy at both ends of the court and has been a knockdown outside shooter. oregonlive, 4 Oct. 2022 Cal delivered a knockdown blow on the second play from scrimmage when Ott raced down the left sideline for a 73-yard touchdown. Michael Lev, The Arizona Republic, 24 Sep. 2022 Touted as a knockdown shooter entering the draft (42 percent on 5.5 attempts from long range at Auburn), Smith shot just 37.7 percent overall from the field in Summer League and just 25.9 percent from behind the arc. Rahat Huq, Chron, 5 Sep. 2022
Noun
Berlanga managed four knockdowns total, but there were times Quigley outboxed him. Josh Katzowitz, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2024 And two ninth-round knockdowns finished off Ryder, as Munguia logged his 34th knockout and remained undefeated. José M. Romero, The Arizona Republic, 28 Jan. 2024 Yet the Niners still managed to hit their target, collecting 62 quarterback knockdowns — the fifth-highest total in the league. Rainer Sabin, Detroit Free Press, 25 Jan. 2024 Violence — including a knockdown fight involving reindeer, car chases, and people falling from high places or moving cars — is played mostly for laughs. Common Sense Media, Washington Post, 24 Nov. 2023 The now-junior Latham had 29 knockdown blocks last season. Matt Stahl | Mstahl@al.com, al, 21 Aug. 2023 Still, CompuBox calculated that Fury landed more punches than Ngannou in six of the ten rounds, and the three judges concluded something similar, granting Fury five, six, or seven rounds (out of ten) on their respective scorecards, minus an extra point from Fury, for the knockdown. Kelefa Sanneh, The New Yorker, 30 Oct. 2023 Moreover, their structural integrity often leaves much to be desired, especially when subjected to the occasional knockdown. Nicole Pyles, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Oct. 2023 When needed, the elastic tubes are easy to replace or swap out for ones that offer more knockdown power. Jim Cobb, Field & Stream, 13 Sep. 2023
Verb
Last year, LeBron's son, Bronny James, knocked down five three-pointers in the 2023 game. Natasha Dye, Peoplemag, 1 Mar. 2024 The fifth-year guard knocked down a critical three-pointer with 1:28 left against No. 13 Colorado to spur the No. 8 Bruins to a gritty 53-45 win at Pauley Pavilion on Monday. Thuc Nhi Nguyen, Los Angeles Times, 27 Feb. 2024 Many spaces that were used as jazz venues in the early 1900s are no longer around, DeVeaux said, the buildings knocked down and turned into high-rises—the victims of gentrification. Tori Latham, Robb Report, 26 Feb. 2024 The lone Del Lago senior seeing significant playing time, Viktor knocked down four 3-pointers, pulled down 10 rebounds and blocked three shots. Don Norcross, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Feb. 2024 But the Rebels knocked down 11 3-pointers, and the Tigers weren’t able to keep pace down the stretch. Jaden Lewis, Kansas City Star, 17 Feb. 2024 The Wildcats regained the lead on a layup from Larsson on the ensuing possession and stayed in front until Madsen knocked down a transition 3 with 19.4 seconds remaining in regulation to force overtime. John Coon, USA TODAY, 9 Feb. 2024 The powerful storm, pounding the state with rain, wind and mountain snow since Monday, caused the Santa Barbara Airport to close, flash flooding around Los Angeles, and knocked down 100-year old trees in Refugio State Beach. Kathryn Prociv, NBC News, 21 Feb. 2024 Anderes was knocked down on the ground when everyone started running. Nouran Salahieh, CNN, 15 Feb. 2024

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

Adjective

1690, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1809, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of knockdown was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near knockdown

Cite this Entry

“Knockdown.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/knockdown. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

knock down

verb
1
: to strike to the ground with or as if with a sharp blow
2
: to sell to the highest bidder at an auction
3
: to take apart
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