knock up

British
as in to wake
to cause to stop sleeping I asked the clerk at the hotel to knock me up at 7:00 a.m.

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 up Meanwhile, while Miranda busies herself with building a pageant empire, her husband Ray, a pill-popping nurse, has knocked up the 18-year-old granddaughter of one of his hospice patients. Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 28 Aug. 2025 Julia, worried, maintains that she’s not knocked up. Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 15 Aug. 2025 With 200 hp worth of empty space to play with before knocking up against the 600-hp V12 Verado, Mercury is dialing up the overall output of the V10 range by adding a new 425-hp variant as the flagship of the family. New Atlas, 12 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for knock up
Verb
  • Resident Armando Vierra, an Army veteran, said the explosion woke him up and shook his house, nearly five miles from the plant.
    Craig Shoup, Nashville Tennessean, 11 Oct. 2025
  • Reju isn’t the first company that has sought to wake New Yorkers up to a problem that’s literally mounting, if somewhat out of sight thousands of miles away.
    Jasmin Malik Chua, Sourcing Journal, 10 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • As the siblings say grace before eating, Sean awakens, and Erin calls for a doctor.
    Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 18 Oct. 2025
  • Designed for an effortless curl, this seeks to awaken the eyes by reaching every lash without pinching.
    Kiana Murden, Vogue, 18 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Prosecutors allege that in October 2024, Spencer awoke to find his daughter missing from the family’s home, prompting him to leave to search for her.
    Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 14 Oct. 2025
  • Just hours after snorting the drug, Sarah awoke to find her girlfriend unresponsive beside her.
    Rachel Hale, USA Today, 14 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Knock up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/knock%20up. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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