knock up

Definition of knock upnext
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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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 up The pair collided with such force that Dumoulin got knocked up about two feet in the air before landing hard on his padded backside. — Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 27 Apr. 2026 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 See All Example Sentences for knock up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for knock up
Verb
  • In 1784, Benjamin Franklin proposed the idea that people wake earlier to take advantage of morning sunlight and reduce their use of candles.
    — Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 30 Oct. 2026
  • That structure won’t eliminate the symptoms waking you up, however.
    — Emily Cegielski, Flow Space, 28 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • The picture unfolds against the backdrop of a family digital detox vacation in a house in a Swedish forest which takes a terrifying turn when a teenager discovers an old modem and unwittingly awakens a dormant, sadistic demon when it is fired up.
    — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 29 Oct. 2026
  • There is still time for the Republican Party to awaken from its slumber and stand up in the history of our nation for freedom-loving peoples across Europe.
    — Bob Kustra, Chicago Tribune, 22 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • The Heat awoke Tuesday as the NBA’s only 0-4 team and thoroughly bewildered about how a group that fashioned itself a contender could continue to perform so poorly.
    — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Reaves was held scoreless during the first quarter, but awoke for 15 points in the second.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 25 Oct. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Knock up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/knock%20up. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

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