as in sipped
to swallow in liquid form
desperately thirsty, she knocked back an entire glass of water without pausing
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of knocked back
Unlike the native predators that are knocked back by drought, swamp eels are already lying in wait as water levels rise, prompting crayfish and other forage fish to repopulate the wetlands.
—
Dac Collins, Outdoor Life, 12 Mar. 2026
He sort of just gets knocked back a little bit.
—Josh Robbins, New York Times, 11 Feb. 2026
With ghost Rich’s help, the kids sink the dagger into the ground beneath the deadwood, and the Pennywise bird is knocked back onto the ice by a beam of light.
—Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 15 Dec. 2025
Next door, at the nearly pitch-black bar Nothing Really Matters, a pair of court officers knocked back tomato martinis as a couple got handsy over pilsners a few seats down.
—The Editors, Curbed, 15 Dec. 2025
Two employees of Kentucky Truck Parts and Service, whose shop is located on the edge of the debris field, told CNN affiliate WLKY they were knocked back by the explosion.
—Lauren Mascarenhas, CNN Money, 6 Nov. 2025
Colts three-time All-Pro guard Quenton Nelson and mates knocked back linemen and linebackers.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Oct. 2025
After 400 that pinnacle drop is the only thing to level you up, and after six months, everyone is getting knocked back down to 200 to do it all over again.
—Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2025
Dac Collins, Outdoor Life, 12 Mar. 2026
He sort of just gets knocked back a little bit.
—Josh Robbins, New York Times, 11 Feb. 2026
With ghost Rich’s help, the kids sink the dagger into the ground beneath the deadwood, and the Pennywise bird is knocked back onto the ice by a beam of light.
—Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 15 Dec. 2025
Next door, at the nearly pitch-black bar Nothing Really Matters, a pair of court officers knocked back tomato martinis as a couple got handsy over pilsners a few seats down.
—The Editors, Curbed, 15 Dec. 2025
Two employees of Kentucky Truck Parts and Service, whose shop is located on the edge of the debris field, told CNN affiliate WLKY they were knocked back by the explosion.
—Lauren Mascarenhas, CNN Money, 6 Nov. 2025
Colts three-time All-Pro guard Quenton Nelson and mates knocked back linemen and linebackers.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Oct. 2025
After 400 that pinnacle drop is the only thing to level you up, and after six months, everyone is getting knocked back down to 200 to do it all over again.
—Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for knocked back
Verb
-
Locals sipped coffees and worked on laptops by the lobby’s roaring fire; in the bar, happy hour was underway and a mixologist was pouring Misty Fjords spritzes.—
Travel + Leisure Editors,
Travel + Leisure,
15 Apr. 2026
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Of course, the point is not to just drink a tequila that packs a bigger punch, but to enjoy one that maintains its character and flavor—even with more alcohol than usual—that can be sipped or mixed into a drink.—
Jonah Flicker,
Robb Report,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Lehman admitted in earlier testimony the pair drank and did some drugs, including marijuana, earlier that evening.—
Meredith Colias-Pete,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Participants drank soda and ate cookies while listening to Dropkick Murphys, a Boston punk band that Platner likes.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
With the dead and the wounded sprawled around them, the mocambos gulped the wine from the sacramental chalice.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
19 Mar. 2026
-
As studios gulped down profits, talent below and above the line began to demand adequate shares of the pie.—
Angelica Jade Bastién,
Vulture,
12 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Knocked back.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/knocked%20back. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.
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