knockoff

1 of 2

noun

knock·​off ˈnäk-ˌȯf How to pronounce knockoff (audio)
: a copy that sells for less than the original
broadly : a copy or imitation of someone or something popular

knock off

2 of 2

verb

knocked off; knocking off; knocks off

intransitive verb

: to stop doing something

transitive verb

1
: to do hurriedly or routinely
knocked off one painting after another
2
: discontinue, stop
knocked off work at five
3
: deduct
knocked off a little to make the price more attractive
4
a
: kill
knocked off two men … on mercenary groundsLewis Baker
b
: overcome, defeat
knocked off each center of rebellion
5
: rob
knocked off a couple of banks
6
: to make a knockoff of : copy, imitate
knocks off popular dress designs

Examples of knockoff in a Sentence

Noun That purse is a knockoff. Verb decided it was time to knock off telling fantastic fibs about her family background a proposal to knock 10 cents off the gasoline tax
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.
Noun
In a lawsuit filed in California, Lululemon accused Costco of selling and, in one case, manufacturing knockoffs of its Scuba sweatshirts, Define jackets and ABC pants. Mary Whitfill Roeloffs, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025 These songs fall back on Rae-era propensities, flexing the internet personality’s instinct for a cresting trend but failing to do better than the real Lana songs and knockoffs flooding the market. Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 6 June 2025
Verb
Al-Hilal’s win over Manchester City was more dramatic, but Fluminense knocked off Champions League finalist Inter Milan 2-0, which was also unexpected. Miami Herald, 3 July 2025 The price had at one point soared more than 150% this year before the Novo split knocked off a nearly a third of its valuation on Monday. Queenie Wong, Los Angeles Times, 28 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for knockoff

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1966, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1649, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of knockoff was in 1649

Browse Nearby Words

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Knockoff.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/knockoff. Accessed 9 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

knock off

verb
: to stop doing something
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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