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 nomad
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
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Recent Examples of knock (about)
Jeannette Catsoulis, New York Times, 19 Jan. 2017
Caryn James, HollywoodReporter, 30 Aug. 2025
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
Noun
This new film is a very black comedy that is also a heist story with some bloody violence, along with a bit of knockabout slapstick and a theme of family bonds.
—Caryn James, HollywoodReporter, 30 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for knock (about)
Verb
-
The employees of Rockin’ Grandma’s roam the grounds of the retreat site, which boasts multiple structures, and are visited by a series of guest speakers whose lectures range from the merely dull to the truly Dada.—
Inkoo Kang,
New Yorker,
27 Mar. 2026
-
It's estimated 60 million bison once roamed North America, but they were nearly driven to extinction in the 1800s, and by 1889, there were only a few hundred wild bison remained.—
Madeline Bartos,
CBS News,
26 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Those self-aware lyrics are paired with breezy melody and a gently rollicking rhythm, making this feel like a freewheeling summertime favorite.—
Jessica Nicholson,
Billboard,
24 Mar. 2026
-
His lightning guitar work — alongside a mandolinist, fiddler, upright-bassist and banjo player who are not too shabby on their respective strings themselves — delivered a rollicking half-hour that gave the fans in the bleachers plenty to dance to.—
Jared Kaufman,
Twin Cities,
21 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The rooms Eschewing the predictable Greek island white-on-white aesthetic, the look is more global nomad than Cycladic purist.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Jargalsaikhan Bayarkhand's winning entry from Mongolia is a striking portrait of a Kazakh nomad in traditional attire and the country's sparse landscape framing him.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
21 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The bohemian Užupis district feels like a film set in its own right, and wandering through the cobblestoned streets with kids is the kind of immersive, screen-free adventure that sticks with a family long after the suitcases are unpacked.—
Lauren Schuster,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
23 Mar. 2026
-
German Jews—my people—were far less numerous, most of them came to the United States earlier, and their typical first occupation was peddling, which entailed wandering through non-Jewish areas, not living in tenements.—
Adam Kirsch,
The Atlantic,
23 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The heavily partisan Missouri crowd was boisterous and passionate throughout, making the setting feel almost like Mizzou Arena at times.—
PJ Green,
Kansas City Star,
21 Mar. 2026
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The Israeli interviewees in Theroux’s documentary are portrayed as boisterous and open about their plans to fully occupy the West Bank and promote Palestinian relocation.—
Rafa Sales Ross,
Variety,
19 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Voice like a warm porchlight left on for wanderers who kissed goodbye too soon or stayed too long.—
Alex Suskind,
Pitchfork,
18 Mar. 2026
-
Unlike most comets, which originate in the Kuiper Belt or the Oort Cloud, this icy wanderer formed around another star before drifting into our cosmic neighborhood.—
Daisy Dobrijevic,
Space.com,
2 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Later, settle in for a pint at Teach Ósta, the lone pub, where conversations drift easily from myth to weather to memory.—
Condé Nast Traveler,
Condé Nast Traveler,
25 Mar. 2026
-
There is something timeless about staring at only water and sky, easy to drift back to 1914 when this building was designed by the New York architecture firm McKim Mead & White.—
Rick Kogan,
Chicago Tribune,
25 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Although Brixx operates a mix of corporate and franchised locations, its takeover of that space would make the lakefront livelier by putting patrons on the patio at night.—
Théoden Janes,
Charlotte Observer,
24 Mar. 2026
-
Fredericksburg still wears its German heritage on its sleeve, evident throughout Main Street architecture and a lively cluster of biergartens and long-running seasonal festivals.—
Alexis Simmerman,
Austin American Statesman,
23 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Knock (about).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/knock%20%28about%29. Accessed 31 Mar. 2026.
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