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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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-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
-
Lastly, some members of the mainstream media’s reports on the violent anti-ICE protests in Minneapolis have been draped in gross mischaracterizations and gaping omissions.—
Michael Zais,
The Orlando Sentinel,
15 Feb. 2026
-
The president’s recent announcement of progress has been somewhat overshadowed by violent crimes making headlines daily.—
Alexandra Mendoza,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
15 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Some of the fiercest storms in the South were reported near Lake Charles, Louisiana, where high winds from a thunderstorm overturned a horse trailer and a Mardi Gras float, damaged an airport jet bridge and flung the metal awning from a house into power lines.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
15 Feb. 2026
-
There’s Manny, Zitzs and EZ, who has a way with the girls; Izzy, an abused boy who hides his family’s secrets, and Gloria, as good at sports as the boys and so fierce nobody teases her little sister about her stutter.—
Mary Ann Grossmann,
Twin Cities,
15 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
This time, the soloist was the stellar emerging pianist Yunchan Lim, who keeps to himself, either lost in dreamy reverie or, like a jumpy teenager, in ferocious attack mode.—
Classical Music Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Feb. 2026
-
Fullerton's ferocious winds toppled trees onto homes, cars and trucks, jolting neighbors awake early Wednesday morning.—
Michele Gile,
CBS News,
19 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Right next to that is a showcase for Rubin’s frenetic playing in the form of a furious pattern over slashing guitars.—
Gil Kaufman,
Billboard,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Two other high-ranking music executives from outside the company, who also spoke to The Times on condition of anonymity to maintain relationships there, said talent and agents at Wasserman Music are furious, and planning exits if Wasserman stays much longer.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The faces of those women represented an unbroken chain of those who survived turbulent histories before me.—
Lara N. Dotson-Renta,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Feb. 2026
-
This is something that is common around young stars that have turbulent and violent environments, but is uncommon for stars as old as ASASSN-24fw, estimated to be around 1 billion years old.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
13 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The Frog Lake huts are remote structures miles from the Boreal Ski Resort and are in an area known for being prone to avalanches and difficult to reach in winter due to rough conditions, according to the Truckee Donner Land Trust.—
Noe Padilla,
USA Today,
18 Feb. 2026
-
Tricia Tuttle has had a rough week.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
18 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
In the area with cold plunging and a sauna, the walls undulate with patterns that change color, designed to evoke arctic caves and volcanic rock.—
Shelby Hartman,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Feb. 2026
-
Mineral-rich mud pools, thermal baths, and sulfur springs are reminders of the island's volcanic origins.—
Patricia Doherty,
Travel + Leisure,
17 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The news broke the hearts of the rabid fans eager to see a more brutalist Michelangelo on a vengeance mission on the big screen.—
Nick Romano,
Entertainment Weekly,
17 Feb. 2026
-
In its place, frustration has grown within a rabid fan base that was hoping the front office would find a way to add Giannis Antetokounmpo or another big star to help fill the large void that Butler’s injury created.—
Nick Friedell,
New York Times,
17 Feb. 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 21 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
