as in to smack
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Recent Examples of kneecap
But massive wide receiver and offensive line injuries kneecapped any semblance of an offense.
—
Chris Vannini, New York Times, 9 Oct. 2025
This erosion of trust hasn’t just kneecapped the newspaper industry; it’s hit every source of authority that existed when I was born in 1964.
—Literary Hub, 7 Oct. 2025
The Lions’ surprisingly poor showing against their NFC North rivals kneecapped CBS’ deliveries, although the Eye Network also didn’t get much of a lift from the new BDP scheme.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 3 Oct. 2025
These tariffs threaten to kneecap an emerging sector of innovation around the world, that is, for the first time, using traditional startup strategies and pathways to innovate, scale and grow.
—Nish Acharya, Forbes.com, 12 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for kneecap
Chris Vannini, New York Times, 9 Oct. 2025
This erosion of trust hasn’t just kneecapped the newspaper industry; it’s hit every source of authority that existed when I was born in 1964.
—Literary Hub, 7 Oct. 2025
The Lions’ surprisingly poor showing against their NFC North rivals kneecapped CBS’ deliveries, although the Eye Network also didn’t get much of a lift from the new BDP scheme.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 3 Oct. 2025
These tariffs threaten to kneecap an emerging sector of innovation around the world, that is, for the first time, using traditional startup strategies and pathways to innovate, scale and grow.
—Nish Acharya, Forbes.com, 12 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for kneecap
Recent Examples of Synonyms for kneecap
Verb
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In his defense, Barnett took the stand to say there was no murder plot and that Thomas threatened him for the money using physical violence — knocking out a tooth, injuring his left shoulder, and smacking his private parts.—
Sydney Pereira,
Miami Herald,
27 Jan. 2026
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Stiddy is the guy who throws no-look passes in practice and talks smack to the starting defense.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Journalist Don Lemon was released from custody Friday after he was arrested and hit with federal civil rights charges over his coverage of an anti-immigration enforcement protest that disrupted a service at a Minnesota church.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
31 Jan. 2026
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But of all the spaghetti that got thrown at the wall, this is the one that hits for reasons that are totally orthogonal to politics and sort of Washington.—
Ben Smith,
semafor.com,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Now the Senate and Murphy have boxed out Sherrill, filling up the board and preventing Sherrill from nominating anyone.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
26 Jan. 2026
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Is boxing the best training for senior execs?—
Emma Hinchliffe,
Fortune,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Rasmus Dahlin and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen weren’t on the same page playing a puck behind the net, and Mavrik Bourque whacked a rebound in with Dahlin as the closest Sabre in coverage.—
Matthew Fairburn,
New York Times,
1 Jan. 2026
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Even where verification was mandated, such as in Taiwan and Singapore, Meta’s systems showed a whack-a-mole effect.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
31 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Handcuffed and belted into the seat, Rivera started swearing in Spanish.—
Colleen Cronin,
Boston Herald,
22 Jan. 2026
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The cante is sung by male and female singers, preferably seated with no backup singers, who belt out lyrics that evoke emotions — grief, joy, tragedy, rejoicing, fear, UNESCO said.—
Adam Harrington,
CBS News,
19 Jan. 2026
Verb
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For the third January in a row, Mother Nature is preparing to sock Memphis in the face with a big fat snowball.—
John Beifuss,
Memphis Commercial Appeal,
21 Jan. 2026
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In addition to tops and bottoms, don’t forget to snag this pair of Merino wool socks for just $11.—
Jasmine Gomez,
Travel + Leisure,
18 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Five players were booked during their defeat to Cameroon, including Foster, who slapped the linesman’s hand twice and screamed in his face in frustration over a decision.—
Jay Harris,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
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Mimicking what happened seven years earlier after the Dallas playoff win in Charlotte, the players ran back outside and took a lap around the stadium, slapping hands with delirious home fans.—
Scott Fowler,
Charlotte Observer,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Patrick Gary Schlegel, 34, of Sahuarita, was shot and critically injured, according to authorities.—
Natalie Neysa Alund,
USA Today,
28 Jan. 2026
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Kevin De Bruyne got injured in October and hasn’t featured since.—
James Horncastle,
New York Times,
28 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Kneecap.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/kneecap. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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