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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of knock-down, drag-out
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
But both performers rode their SNL success to Hollywood superstardom, in turn validating the audience's appetite for inspired silliness and knock-down, drag-out belly-laughs.
—Dennis Perkins, EW.com, 13 Dec. 2022
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
However, leaping in expecting an argument to become a knock-down, drag-out fight isn't the best way to go about your life.
—Tarot Astrologers, chicagotribune.com, 9 Feb. 2022
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
But both performers rode their SNL success to Hollywood superstardom, in turn validating the audience's appetite for inspired silliness and knock-down, drag-out belly-laughs.
—Dennis Perkins, EW.com, 13 Dec. 2022
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
However, leaping in expecting an argument to become a knock-down, drag-out fight isn't the best way to go about your life.
—Tarot Astrologers, chicagotribune.com, 9 Feb. 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for knock-down, drag-out
Adjective
-
Obi Anyadike is Senior Africa Editor at The New Humanitarian, with a focus on violent extremism.—
Obi Anyadike,
semafor.com,
23 Mar. 2026
-
Bergen said the pledge of allegiance gives a broader meaning to base violent desires.—
Eric Levenson,
CNN Money,
22 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Over years and then decades, the two women’s relationship swings between fierce sisterhood, bitter jealousy and an uneasy combination of the two.—
Angie Han,
HollywoodReporter,
22 Mar. 2026
-
The Lowe/Pickett/Scroggins competition should be fierce, and don’t discount the freshmen, especially Lafayette.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
20 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Sierra Canyon used a ferocious press and got points from unexpected places, like 3-pointers from Stephen Kankole, dunks from Jordan Mize and 11 points with 10 assists from JJ Sati-Grier.—
Tarek Fattal,
Daily News,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Still, any attempt to use Harry Potter as a lens through which to view human decency can’t avoid the ferocious, half-blind dragon in the room.—
Séamas O'Reilly,
Vulture,
26 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
In the furious battle for the final playoff spots in the Eastern Conference, the B’s erased two one-goal deficits and scored three third period goals to beat the Detroit Red Wings, 4-2, at the Little Caesars Arena.—
Steve Conroy,
Boston Herald,
22 Mar. 2026
-
Execs are reportedly furious not just about what happened, but about the spoiler.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
20 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The area's geography of tall seaside cliffs and sharp mountain ridges can contribute to turbulent air and quick weather changes that pose hazards for aviation.—
JENNIFER SINCO KELLEHER,
CBS News,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Three people were killed when a tour helicopter broke apart near Honolulu in April 2019, and that December seven people died, including three children, when one crashed in turbulent weather near the Na Pali Coast.—
Jennifer Sinco Kelleher,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Based on the novel by Bart Baker, Honeymoon with Harry follows a rough-around-the-edges man (Gyllenhaal) who ends up sharing an unwanted journey with his fiancée’s prickly, overprotective father (Costner) after a life-altering turn upends their plans.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Nivea’s Intense Healing formula takes a richer approach, focusing on long-lasting moisture that can soften rough areas like knees, elbows, and heels.—
Hana Hong,
Glamour,
25 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
His other brother, Barry Voight, is a geologist who invented a formula to predict volcanic eruptions.—
Ryan Brennan
March 25,
Miami Herald,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Tonga is situated on the Pacific Ring of Fire, the arc of seismic faults where much of the world’s earthquake and volcanic activity occurs.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
24 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Rabies is a preventable viral disease that is most often transmitted through the bite of a rabid animal.—
City News Service,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Based on the rabid demand and explosive growth of Kylie Cosmetics, the company drew the attention of the business press.—
Nate Freeman,
Vanity Fair,
11 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Knock-down, drag-out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/knock-down%2C%20drag-out. Accessed 29 Mar. 2026.
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