Synonyms of knockdownnext
1
: having such force as to strike down or overwhelm
… a bewildering assortment of knockdown arguments …J. 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
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 money …Infantry 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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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
Noun
Sandhagen’s leg was injured in the first round after a submission attempt from Sandhagen bounced back with a strong second frame, but a knockdown in the third and several takedowns gave Bautista the win in the worst fight of the night. Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 11 July 2026 Kennard could have provided a critical floor-spacing piece around Doncic, who thrives when surrounded by lob-catching centers, athletic wings and knockdown shooters. Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2026
Verb
On the ensuing possession, Sneed knocked down his fifth 3 of the game from the right wing to bring his scoring total to 27 points and stretch Purple Reign’s lead back to 10. Christian Marshall, Kansas City Star, 23 July 2026 Martin Ramirez, 49, who manages a nearby body shop, said a rat sneaked into his shop just days after the fire was knocked down. Los Angeles Times, 23 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for knockdown

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

Browse Nearby Words

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Knockdown.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/knockdown. Accessed 26 Jul. 2026.

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
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!