as in chunks
a small uneven mass
toss a knob of butter into the frying pan
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Recent Examples of knobs
Azuma’s paludarium for Dior marks the entrance to the café, with dedicated buttons to control humidity, knobs to play music for the plants, and magnifying glasses to watch in real time as blooms open.
—
Kelly Wetherille, Footwear News, 18 Feb. 2026
The knobs on the stove, the refrigerator handles, the drawer pulls, and the kitchen light switches all need a good scrub and disinfecting.
—Melissa Locker, Southern Living, 16 Feb. 2026
For years, simple pine chests with large, circular knobs have been a dime a dozen at antique stores.
—Heather Bien, Martha Stewart, 31 Jan. 2026
Changing architectural details like the shower fittings, faucets, cabinet knobs and drawer pulls can make a basic bathroom look far more refined and considered.
—Nomita Vaish-Taylor, The Spruce, 31 Jan. 2026
Gas ovens pose a dangerous carbon monoxide risk that can lead to poisoning or death, while electric ovens can be a fire hazard, melting knobs or igniting nearby flammable items.
—Jonathan Limehouse, USA Today, 24 Jan. 2026
Young elephants pass us in the bush with fleshy knobs where there should be tails, the scars of crocodile bites from wading through deep rivers, and the Sitatunga have evolved long, splayed hooves to prevent them from getting stuck in the boggy wetland.
—Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Jan. 2026
Elsewhere, jolts of intensity come from human hands turning round knobs in real time.
—Philip Sherburne, Pitchfork, 14 Jan. 2026
That includes a simple, flat dashboard with traditional gauges and knobs with next to no contemporary accents.
—New Atlas, 13 Jan. 2026
Kelly Wetherille, Footwear News, 18 Feb. 2026
The knobs on the stove, the refrigerator handles, the drawer pulls, and the kitchen light switches all need a good scrub and disinfecting.
—Melissa Locker, Southern Living, 16 Feb. 2026
For years, simple pine chests with large, circular knobs have been a dime a dozen at antique stores.
—Heather Bien, Martha Stewart, 31 Jan. 2026
Changing architectural details like the shower fittings, faucets, cabinet knobs and drawer pulls can make a basic bathroom look far more refined and considered.
—Nomita Vaish-Taylor, The Spruce, 31 Jan. 2026
Gas ovens pose a dangerous carbon monoxide risk that can lead to poisoning or death, while electric ovens can be a fire hazard, melting knobs or igniting nearby flammable items.
—Jonathan Limehouse, USA Today, 24 Jan. 2026
Young elephants pass us in the bush with fleshy knobs where there should be tails, the scars of crocodile bites from wading through deep rivers, and the Sitatunga have evolved long, splayed hooves to prevent them from getting stuck in the boggy wetland.
—Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Jan. 2026
Elsewhere, jolts of intensity come from human hands turning round knobs in real time.
—Philip Sherburne, Pitchfork, 14 Jan. 2026
That includes a simple, flat dashboard with traditional gauges and knobs with next to no contemporary accents.
—New Atlas, 13 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for knobs
Noun
-
Responding to 911 calls of a disorderly crowd jumping from and throwing objects off the bathroom roof, officers were relentlessly pelted with snowballs and ice chunks at close range that landed two in the hospital with head and face injuries.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
26 Feb. 2026
-
More than 200,000 Bay Staters remained in the dark Tuesday evening, with MEMA’s power outage map showing large chunks of Barnstable and Plymouth counties greatly affected.—
Lance Reynolds,
Boston Herald,
24 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Each plant can be counted on to produce a large number of flower stalks, and the clumps of sword-like foliage add shape and texture to the garden throughout the year.—
Angela England,
The Spruce,
22 Feb. 2026
-
Sifting aerates the flour and helps to break up any clumps.—
Sarah Carey,
Martha Stewart,
22 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Use those wads of wrapping paper leftover from a birthday, baby shower, or holiday bash to stuff the bottom and sides of the box and prevent shifting during shipping.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
25 Dec. 2025
-
Hanging ornaments with care can be one of the highlights of the holiday season, but untangling wads of string lights is far less enjoyable.—
Maggie Horton,
PEOPLE,
22 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Inspired by both pre-Columbian cultures and modern scientific theories, Jensen made energetic diagrams of shapes, symbols, and numbers in loud complementary colors, using thick globs of paint; the results generate a fascinating friction.—
Brian Seibert,
New Yorker,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Typically, their damage is mostly limited to the bumps and lumps created by their tunneling activity.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
15 Feb. 2026
-
The buildings had suffered many injuries inside and out, lumps and bumps everywhere.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Legs were wound down to nubs and heads inflated to egregious proportions.—
Andrew Norman Wilson,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Feb. 2026
-
Fumbling with the plastic nubs can be painful and frustrating.—
Zoe Gates,
Outside,
28 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The designer's favorite art pieces feel collected, considered, and personal rather than prescriptive.—
Maria Sabella,
Better Homes & Gardens,
21 Feb. 2026
-
Mismatched china is great for repurposing pieces into beautiful, functional items like candles.—
Ashley Chalmers,
The Spruce,
21 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
There are gobs of money to be made selling enterprise software, but dulling the impact of AI is also a useful feint.—
Josh Tyrangiel,
The Atlantic,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Its 20 rooms encompass nearly 8,500 square feet of living space and include five bedrooms, six full bathrooms, one half-bathroom, two laundry rooms, three stairways, two breakfast bars and gobs of closet space.—
Mike Klingaman,
Baltimore Sun,
3 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Knobs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/knobs. Accessed 1 Mar. 2026.
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