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
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
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
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for knock-down, drag-out
Adjective
-
Despite the official figures offered and pronouncements made by Mamdani and NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch, New York City remains a very violent place.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
10 May 2026
-
Landslide tsunamis, like the one that happened in Tracy Arm, are often more localized but also way more violent.—
Jacek Krywko,
ArsTechnica,
10 May 2026
Adjective
-
But creating that space has proven challenging, with plans for two new shelters in the city limits abandoned in recent years after fierce neighborhood opposition.—
Ryan Gillespie,
The Orlando Sentinel,
9 May 2026
-
Wildlife refuges and other nature areas protect 40% of Block Island, and residents are renowned for their fierce opposition to anything that might imperil their pristine Atlantic home.—
CNN.com Wire Service,
Mercury News,
8 May 2026
Adjective
-
The old saying that film does not lie is true here in the opening episode, as viewers get a glimpse at Williams’ basketball skills as a shooter and leaping ability as a ferocious dunker.—
Joe Davidson
May 7,
Sacbee.com,
7 May 2026
-
In July 2023, daredevil physicists outfitted a high-altitude NASA plane with gamma-ray detectors and flew it straight over the core of some of the most ferocious storms on the planet — tropical storms in the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central America.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
6 May 2026
Adjective
-
The milestone came during Indiana’s season opener against the Dallas Wings on Saturday — a game the Fever ultimately dropped, 107-104, despite a furious offensive performance from both teams.—
Amber Harding OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
10 May 2026
-
And the opponent’s goals came fast and furious in the opening 45 minutes plus stoppage time — especially during the first 26.—
The Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
10 May 2026
Adjective
-
Overall, it's been a turbulent year for cyber stocks.—
Morgan Chittum,
CNBC,
9 May 2026
-
The sudden retirement comes after a turbulent year for the division in which the program’s full-time employees were laid off.—
O. Rose Broderick,
STAT,
8 May 2026
Adjective
-
In a region of rough roads, Chispa is among the roughest.—
Rachel Monroe,
New Yorker,
14 May 2026
-
That is often billed as a finishing school for footballing talent, but graduates inevitably remain rough around the edges.—
Matt Woosnam,
New York Times,
13 May 2026
Adjective
-
Crater of Diamonds is the only place in the world where the public can dig up natural diamonds in their original volcanic source.—
Angel Saunders,
PEOPLE,
13 May 2026
-
The boundaries are also the areas where most of the earthquakes and volcanic activity happen.—
Jacopo Prisco,
CNN Money,
13 May 2026
Adjective
-
The sense with Backrooms is that there’s a stickiness around it with the under 25 set who are rabid fans of the Kane Pixels created IP from 2019.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
7 May 2026
-
In March, two people and several dogs were treated after being attacked by a rabid bobcat that tested positive for the disease in New Mexico.—
Adam England,
PEOPLE,
6 May 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 15 May. 2026.
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