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
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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
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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
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1
as in blow
a hard strike with a part of the body or an instrument
gave the door a good knock
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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
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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
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Cite this Entry
“Knock.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/knock. Accessed 13 Oct. 2026.
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