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

When dogs are outside, make sure there's shade and plenty of water in a bowl that can't be knocked over. — Kara Finnstrom, CBS News, 13 Aug. 2026

Others tripped over the hurdles on the track, knocking over almost every one. — Matt Viser, The Atlantic, 13 Aug. 2026

Trees are especially vulnerable to being knocked over from incoming gusts due to prolonged wet soil from yesterday's storm. — Matthew Cupelli, Cincinnati Enquirer, 12 Aug. 2026

Doing so can knock over a fellow passenger’s food or cause a drink spill. — Iona Brannon, Travel + Leisure, 9 Aug. 2026

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