as in to roam
to move about from place to place aimlessly
we knocked about from town to town, looking for work
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
as in rollicking
being rough or noisy in a high-spirited way
a knockabout game of football in the mud
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in nomad
a person who roams about without a fixed route or destination
the book is one writer's journey of self-discovery as a restless knockabout
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of knock (about)
Jeannette Catsoulis, New York Times, 19 Jan. 2017
Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 28 Apr. 2026
This new film is a very black comedy that is also a heist story with some bloody violence, along with a bit of knockabout slapstick and a theme of family bonds.
—Caryn James, HollywoodReporter, 30 Aug. 2025
Adjective
Though thematically vague, thinly plotted and without a reliably sympathetic soul to cling to, the movie has a mutinous energy and an absurd, knockabout charm; even its violence is more quirky than brutal.
—Jeannette Catsoulis, New York Times, 19 Jan. 2017
Noun
Seeing a knockabout comedy set outdoors is a whole different barrel of laughs.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 28 Apr. 2026
This new film is a very black comedy that is also a heist story with some bloody violence, along with a bit of knockabout slapstick and a theme of family bonds.
—Caryn James, HollywoodReporter, 30 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for knock (about)
Verb
-
Now, on her seventh studio album, Middle of Nowhere, Musgraves is letting the wind take her all the way back home, to a place where there’s no cell service, bulls roam freely, and gorgeous pedal steel guitars are plentiful.—
Maya Georgi,
Rolling Stone,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Escaped inmates roamed the streets of New Orleans under the watch of surveillance cameras.—
Patrick Smith,
NBC news,
30 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Murphy then appeared on stage to a rollicking standing ovation and made his way to his place at the dais toward the back of the room.—
Pete Hammond,
Deadline,
19 Apr. 2026
-
Those self-aware lyrics are paired with breezy melody and a gently rollicking rhythm, making this feel like a freewheeling summertime favorite.—
Jessica Nicholson,
Billboard,
24 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
This system is ideal for the connected nomad, designed for those who need internet access while traveling, camping, using an RV, or in temporary locations.—
Brian Westover,
PC Magazine,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Using advanced sensors and robotic manipulation, these nuclear nomads can perform inspections and repairs that previously required massive protective gear and strict time limits.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Mira wanted to know who had dispatched him, but the boy wandered off to a playground structure, singing Jimmy Eat World to himself.—
Anna Wiener,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
-
The rules required residents to use bear-resistant trash containers as wildlife officials determined bears, typically shy, boldly wandered into neighborhoods in search of left-overs in garbage bins.—
Stephen Hudak,
The Orlando Sentinel,
4 May 2026
Adjective
-
Keep track of your tone while Mercury squares off with boisterous Jupiter.—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
26 Apr. 2026
-
The Ducks came out flying, more than matching the enthusiasm of the boisterous crowd.—
Andrew Knoll,
Oc Register,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The cougars that make their way through Minnesota are believed to be lone wanderers from the Dakotas and Nebraska.—
Aki Nace,
CBS News,
1 May 2026
-
Angel was able to swap some Yokohama Geolandars over from his previous wanderer-spec ride, a Honda Element.—
Byron Hurd,
The Drive,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The staircase to the second floor had a stair lift, and into my head drifted an image of an elderly widow, slowly ascending to her bedroom after eating alone, her kitchen overflowing with porcelain and crystal reminders of dinner parties long ago.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 May 2026
-
Instead of splashing down or drifting under parachutes, the vehicle uses a lifting-body design (without wings) and will land under a steerable parafoil for a runway-style touchdown — a flight system unlike any that has matured to operability on a spacecraft to date.—
Josh Dinner,
Space.com,
6 May 2026
Adjective
-
The Tollgate, a pub frequented by hundreds of United supporters on matchdays, is lively even two and a half hours before kick-off.—
Chris McKenna,
New York Times,
4 May 2026
-
That was until this Dutch upstart with his European aesthetic, lively and colorful stores and eye-popping marketing campaigns began to chisel away at their market share.—
Jean E. Palmieri,
Footwear News,
4 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Knock (about).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/knock%20%28about%29. Accessed 8 May. 2026.
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