knockdown

1 of 3

adjective

knock·​down ˈnäk-ˌdau̇n 

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

knock down

3 of 3

verb

ˈnäk-ˈdau̇n 

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

Synonyms of knockdown

Verb

• win
• earn
• reap
• gain
• make
• get
• garner
• obtain
• pull down
• land

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

Noun

Mauigoa, a former five-star recruit, was the only tackle in the FBS with two or fewer knockdowns allowed on 500-plus snaps as a pass-blocker for Cam Ward his sophomore season. —Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Dec. 2025

Fashion giant Prada bought its rival Versace at a knockdown price, bringing two of Italy’s biggest luxury fashion brands under one roof. —Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 3 Dec. 2025

Verb

Teammates have also implored Ware to be better, understanding his intriguing potential as an athletic 7-footer with a 7-foot-5 wingspan and the ability to knock down threes. —Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 24 Nov. 2025

Dons’ leading scorer Ryan Beasley knocked down a 3-pointer on their opening possession, and from that point on, San Francisco (5-1) never trailed. —Andrew Cornelius, Twin Cities, 23 Nov. 2025

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

Rhymes for knockdown

• adown
• blowdown
• breakdown
• countdown
• crackdown
• crosstown
• downtown
• drawdown
• dropdown
• facedown
• godown
• hometown

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