as in to roam
to move about from place to place aimlessly
we knocked about from town to town, looking for work
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
as in rollicking
being rough or noisy in a high-spirited way
a knockabout game of football in the mud
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in gypsy
a person who roams about without a fixed route or destination
the book is one writer's journey of self-discovery as a restless knockabout
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 (about)
Jeannette Catsoulis, New York Times, 19 Jan. 2017
Adjective
Though thematically vague, thinly plotted and without a reliably sympathetic soul to cling to, the movie has a mutinous energy and an absurd, knockabout charm; even its violence is more quirky than brutal.
—Jeannette Catsoulis, New York Times, 19 Jan. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for knock (about)
Verb
-
Tesla’s robotaxis will roam city streets, and humanoid robots dubbed Optimus will perform everyday tasks.—
Caroline Petrow-Cohen,
Los Angeles Times,
5 June 2025
-
Depending on the weather and other conditions such as wildfires, rattlesnakes may roam at any time of the day or night.—
Ashley Fredde,
Idaho Statesman,
4 June 2025
Adjective
-
Joy’s jazzy, smoky version of the Marvin Gaye classic, coupled with her velvety vocals, sparked another rollicking ovation led by John who was the first to stand up.—
Gail Mitchell,
Billboard,
4 Feb. 2023
-
His setlist, a rollicking walk-down-memory-lane of solo hits, NKOTB favorites, standards, show tunes and cover songs, showcased his range as an entertainer, musical virtuoso and keen collaborator.—
Sonal Dutt,
Peoplemag,
23 Jan. 2023
Verb
-
Across the street, walking to their apartments, Marta Becerra, 50, and Margarita Mota, 60, said people from the parking structure had wandered into their apartment complex, stealing bicycles and other items from people’s porches.—
Ruben Vives,
Los Angeles Times,
30 May 2025
-
Any Colorado wolves that wander into Utah, New Mexico or Arizona will be retrieved and brought back to the Centennial State, under agreements state wildlife officials inked with those neighboring states.—
Elise Schmelzer,
Denver Post,
28 May 2025
Adjective
-
Even amid the more boisterous parts of the track, the speakers pick out the subtleties.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
27 May 2025
-
Elizabeth is friendly and warm, but not as boisterous as Olivia.—
Alan Sepinwall,
Rolling Stone,
26 May 2025
Verb
-
The Switch's most famous durability issue has been the Joy-Con controllers that have experienced drifting problems, but that's only part of the story here.—
James Peckham,
PC Magazine,
6 June 2025
-
The smoke has drifted south and east, creating moderate air quality levels for a large swath of central and southeastern states, according to AirNow.gov.—
Janet Loehrke,
USA Today,
5 June 2025
Adjective
-
In lieu of bunking in the 4,000-square-foot Lord House, built in 1962 just off of Mulholland Drive, rent it out by the hour and host a lively pool party.—
Kristine Hansen,
Architectural Digest,
30 May 2025
-
Thus began a lively rivalry with Lee, who quickly learned Clemens possesses a killer serve.—
Dan Hayes,
New York Times,
30 May 2025
Verb
-
The elephant strolled in from the nearby national park, Kha Yai, and is a familiar sight in the Nakhon Ratchasima province of Thailand, the Associated Press reported.—
Rachel Flynn,
People.com,
4 June 2025
-
It’s said that as a young and then unknown designer, Christian Dior, strolled past the Hôtel Plaza Athénée on a breezy afternoon.—
Liam Hess,
Vogue,
3 June 2025
Adjective
-
That 2-1 defeat was a stinger — Tōko Koga’s decisive goal in the 50th minute hushed an otherwise raucous San Diego crowd.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
New York Times,
31 May 2025
-
The 16th annual Big Slick weekend publicly kicked off at The K with a raucous celebrity softball game, led by hosts Paul Rudd, Rob Riggle, Jason Sudeikis, Eric Stonestreet, David Koechner and Heidi Gardner — plus all of their closest friends.—
Ramal Nasim,
Kansas City Star,
31 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Knock (about).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/knock%20%28about%29. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share