1
as in to bump
to come into usually forceful contact with something
my knee knocked against the table leg when I tried to get up quickly
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to hit
to deliver a blow to (someone or something) usually in a strong vigorous manner
threatened to knock him upside the head if he didn't do as he was told
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in to blame
to express one's unfavorable opinion of the worth or quality of
hey, don't knock it until you've tried it
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in blow
a hard strike with a part of the body or an instrument
gave the door a good knock
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in misfortune
bad luck or an example of this
getting his college degree was a six year adventure not without its share of knocks along the way
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in setback
a change in status for the worse usually temporarily
the geneticist's reputation took a knock when several of his peers were unable to confirm his research findings
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of knock
Sean McIndoe, New York Times, 1 June 2026
For the founders building the next generation of medical devices, that makes Catalyst one of the few doors still worth knocking on.
—Shimite Obialo, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026
James L. Edwards Iii, New York Times, 27 May 2026
But just to stay focused on Google for one second, the knock on Google historically is this is a company that ships lots and lots of products.
—Nilay Patel, The Verge, 26 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for knock
Verb
Is that enough for Jets fans to root for a Vegas team that’s knocked them out of the playoffs in two of the last eight years?
—Sean McIndoe, New York Times, 1 June 2026
For the founders building the next generation of medical devices, that makes Catalyst one of the few doors still worth knocking on.
—Shimite Obialo, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026
Noun
That’s not a knock on the Knicks.
—James L. Edwards Iii, New York Times, 27 May 2026
But just to stay focused on Google for one second, the knock on Google historically is this is a company that ships lots and lots of products.
—Nilay Patel, The Verge, 26 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for knock
Recent Examples of Synonyms for knock
Verb
-
To alleviate all that blockiness and bulk, the architects chiseled it like a block of marble, shaving here, notching there, bumping out, and pulling in to give it interest in the round.—
Justin Davidson,
Curbed,
4 June 2026
-
This will bump their salaries above $101,000.—
Willie Wilson,
Chicago Tribune,
4 June 2026
Verb
-
The Rockies’ Kyle Karros hit an opposite-field line drive that carried to the right-field warning track, but Lee tracked down the potential extra-base hit on the run, then crashed into the chain-link portion of the fence.—
Justice delos Santos,
Mercury News,
30 May 2026
-
The hitting coaches have been really emphasizing it.—
Jeff Fletcher,
Oc Register,
30 May 2026
Verb
-
Conrad, who has always denied the existence of a tape, blamed Pratt for leaking the story.—
Louis Staples,
The Atlantic,
1 June 2026
-
Concentrated forms of it are increasingly blamed for addiction, health issues and even death.—
Tara Molina,
CBS News,
1 June 2026
Noun
-
At that pace, even a tiny micrometeoroid has the ability to impart a significant kinetic blow upon striking a spacecraft en route to the moon, with potentially disastrous results for the astronaut crew inside.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
7 June 2026
-
Sánchez had the big blow with a two-run shot.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
7 June 2026
Noun
-
Their misfortune was to play in the same era and conference as Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls.—
Michael Powell,
The Atlantic,
3 June 2026
-
His buddy Alex Michelsen, 21, had the misfortune of running into Jódar.—
Matthew Futterman,
New York Times,
31 May 2026
Noun
-
Putin has increasingly faced setbacks on the battlefield as a Ukrainian drone strike campaign disrupts critical logistics routes and public support at home wanes.—
Jane Lytvynenko,
NBC news,
6 June 2026
-
One of the most frightening setbacks came when Asher developed an MRSA bloodstream infection that originated in his port — the device connected to his heart that allows doctors to administer treatment.—
Jordan Greene,
PEOPLE,
5 June 2026
Verb
-
The small, but spirited, Peruvian fan group in the north stands banged its drums and waved flags, finally able to be part of the party.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
6 June 2026
-
Cars pushed through the crowd, hitting at least one person as agitators continued banging, kicking and blocking government vehicles.—
Alexandra Koch,
FOXNews.com,
6 June 2026
Verb
-
Home plate umpire Dan Iassogna called a third strike, but Madrigal argued with the umpire, emphatically slapping his head.—
Liana Handler,
Los Angeles Times,
7 June 2026
-
Rojas slapped a single up the middle to put the Royals ahead.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
6 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Knock.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/knock. Accessed 9 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
