KNOCK-DOWN, DRAG-OUT Synonyms: 55 Similar and Opposite Words

knock-down, drag-out

adjective

ˈnäk-ˌdauṅ-ˈdrag-ˌau̇t

variants or knock-down-and-drag-out

as in violent

marked by bursts of destructive force or intense activity the football game was a knock-down, drag-out battle between bitter rivals

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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-down, drag-out But its industry titans are also locked in a knock-down, drag-out fight for market share, with brutal price wars and competition in a crowded home market deflating profits and stymieing growth. — Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 2 May 2026 That means the knock-down, drag-out government shutdown battles that have become a Washington ritual are, in effect, a fight over a little more than a quarter of the federal ledger. — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 28 Apr. 2026 The meeting of a pair of programs on the rise was a knock-down, drag-out affair that appeared to have no end in sight. — Evan Webeck, Mercury News, 20 Sep. 2025 What follows is a knock-down, drag-out brawl reminiscent of Tommy Hearns and Marvin Hagler. — Lynette Rice, Deadline, 15 Dec. 2024 This was a knock-down, drag-out fight — the kind of match that would make for excellent watching when Marvel Snap tournaments are up and running. — Ash Parrish, The Verge, 31 Jan. 2023 Last week’s knock-down, drag-out fight could just be the first of many this session as GOP lawmakers grapple with government spending, the debt ceiling and the situation at the border. — Dallas News, 10 Jan. 2023 As much as the streaming wars can feel like a knock-down, drag-out fight, Amazon can spend time on the ropes because streaming isn’t its core business. — Angela Watercutter, Wired, 18 Mar. 2022 But rather than a knock-down, drag-out fight to the finish, this series is all about empowerment. — Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 17 Feb. 2022

Recent Examples of Synonyms for knock-down, drag-out

Adjective

In the days since, the incident has sparked another round of reckoning with safety for LGBTQ people in Sacramento’s Lavender Heights neighborhood, which has seen a number of violent incidents in recent years.

— Jennah Pendleton, Sacbee.com, 4 Sep. 2026
Scientists hoped the probe would help build a geologic history of the moon to better understand its violent origins in a cosmic impact.

— Tariq Malik, Space.com, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of violent

Adjective

Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway owns BNSF, and the railroad is a fierce critic of Vena’s takeover bid for Norfolk Southern.

— John Lippert, Chicago Tribune, 6 Sep. 2026
Aaron Donald, one of the fiercest pass rushers in NFL history, is coming out of retirement to rejoin the Rams in hopes of winning another Super Bowl title.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2026

Definition of fierce

Adjective

Giamatti makes Jerry ferocious but not monstruous, a man who certainly likes barking orders at various underlings but loves making good theater even more.

— Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 6 Sep. 2026
Up to this point, Ghostface victims have been stabbed with Buck 120 hunting knives, crushed by garage doors, shot, electrocuted, and thrown off rooftops in ferocious, balls-to-the-wall Scream fashion.

— Michael Lee Simpson, Entertainment Weekly, 5 Sep. 2026

Definition of ferocious

Adjective

The Lindsay Clancy trial has captivated the nation, spurring furious online debate on the state of maternal healthcare and whether she should be held criminally responsible for killing her three children.

— Yasmin Vossoughian, NBC news, 4 Sep. 2026
Simply put, the SEC is furious that LSU has challenged the conference’s attempts to enforce its eligibility rules for athletes returning from professional sports.

— Trey Wallace OutKick, FOXNews.com, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of furious

Adjective

Prototype points toward larger trials To demonstrate the design, the researchers produced a marine buoy that remained stable in a turbulent seawater tank rotated up to 45 degrees.

— Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 3 Sep. 2026
The report from the Government Accountability Office found delays and holes in how the Secret Service updates its policies regarding threats, and arrives after a few turbulent years for the agency charged with the president’s protection.

— Jesse Bedayn, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of turbulent

Adjective

Reuters — Eight Indonesian airports, including two serving Jakarta, remained closed early on Monday morning because of volcanic ash from eruptions at Mount Anak ‌Krakatau, the transport minister said.

— CNN Money, CNN Money, 7 Sep. 2026
Anak Krakatau is a volcanic island in the Sunda Strait between Indonesia's main islands of Java and Sumatra.

— ABC News, ABC News, 7 Sep. 2026

Definition of volcanic

Adjective

Yosemite records few rabid bats, with the last case in 2025, but other national parks have issued rabies alerts within days or weeks, raising fresh questions about Yosemite’s public-health communication.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026
This is the first rabid bat reported in the county since 2024, when two bats tested positive for rabies.

— Molly Morrow, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of rabid

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knock-down, drag-out

knockdowns

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“Knock-down, drag-out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/knock-down%2C%20drag-out. Accessed 10 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of knock-down, drag-out

adjective

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