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
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
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
-
Luke Skywalker will roam Black Spire Outpost seeking knowledge of the Force and kyber crystals that power lightsabers.—
Brady MacDonald,
Oc Register,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Rock iguanas once roamed freely across the islands of Turks and Caicos.—
Madeline Weinfield,
Travel + Leisure,
5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
His lightning guitar work — alongside a mandolinist, fiddler, upright-bassist and banjo player who are not too shabby on their respective strings themselves — delivered a rollicking half-hour that gave the fans in the bleachers plenty to dance to.—
Jared Kaufman,
Twin Cities,
21 Sep. 2025
-
Joy’s jazzy, smoky version of the Marvin Gaye classic, coupled with her velvety vocals, sparked another rollicking ovation led by John who was the first to stand up.—
Gail Mitchell,
Billboard,
4 Feb. 2023
Noun
-
Deutch nails every joke in this slapstick comedy that keeps the out-of-pocket zingers coming nonstop, complimented perfectly by her crew of Yellow Brick Road (Hollywood Boulevard) nomads.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
25 Jan. 2026
-
However, the wheels are just intended for minor on-site movements, not for towing on a public road, so this isn't a good choice for would-be nomads.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Her third album, which is self-titled, is a document of wandering.—
Marissa Lorusso,
Pitchfork,
26 Jan. 2026
-
This meant that the MQ-20 could fly aggressively without the danger of wandering into restricted civilian airspace or high-threat corridors.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
26 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
After two weeks of filming in Kansas City, the cast and crew of ended their stay in Kansas City with a boisterous wrap party in a private karaoke suite at Offkey in Westport.—
Lisa Gutierrez,
Kansas City Star,
3 Feb. 2026
-
Koreatown’s many casual but boisterous offerings also await.—
Arati Menon,
Condé Nast Traveler,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
There’s a cast of wanderers, visionaries, and itinerants, the self-educated and self-published, a long lineage of cranks and outcasts, mostly penurious, always opinionated, stretching away into the mists of pseudohistory.—
Hari Kunzru,
Harpers Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
-
This Victorian town of just over 2,000 is a diverse blend of artists, spiritual seekers, motorcyclists, weekend wanderers, and retirees.—
Symiah Dorsey,
Southern Living,
19 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Word of specific cuts drifted out during the day, as when Cairo Bureau Chief Claire Parker announced on X that she had been laid off, along with all of the newspaper’s Middle East correspondents and editors.—
David Bauder,
Fortune,
4 Feb. 2026
-
This petite, chic travel jewelry case keeps necklaces untangled, prevents rings from drifting to the bottom of her carry-on, and secures earring posts from bending or breaking.—
Annie Blackman,
InStyle,
4 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
But smart casting, witty writing, lively directing, and artful character development have also yielded the rare superhero riff that, as Kovak puts it, finds the human underneath.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
26 Jan. 2026
-
For 30 minutes, the producers mostly paint with a warm, lively palette, whisking fragments of IDM, ghettotech, and house into a hypnotic swirl.—
Rae-Aila Crumble,
Pitchfork,
26 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Knock (about).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/knock%20%28about%29. Accessed 8 Feb. 2026.
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