KNOCKING Synonyms: 213 Similar and Opposite Words

knocking

verb

present participle of knock

as in bumping

to come into usually forceful contact with something my knee knocked against the table leg when I tried to get up quickly

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in hitting

to deliver a blow to (someone or something) usually in a strong vigorous manner threatened to knock him upside the head if he didn't do as he was told

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as in blaming

to express one's unfavorable opinion of the worth or quality of hey, don't knock it until you've tried it

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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 knocking There are several clips of him striking blockers, knocking people backward and disengaging from blocks. — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 9 Sep. 2026 Shah says the brands that typically paid closer attention to these rankings are the ones that came knocking on KCD’s door first for AI visibility metrics. — Amy O’Brien, Vogue, 9 Sep. 2026 Havas allegedly pushed his way through a crowd in an attempt to approach Acton, knocking two elderly people over in the process, according to an incident report obtained by NBC News on Tuesday. — Henry J. Gomez, NBC news, 8 Sep. 2026 Wardlaw stands accused of stepping into Jordan Harbst’s path on the Greenbelt, knocking Harbst off his scooter and stabbing him to death in the early morning hours of July 6, according to the Ada County Prosecutor’s Office. — Alex Brizee, Idaho Statesman, 8 Sep. 2026 Fans likely would have kept returning to the Owens’ iconic house every October, whether or not Hollywood ever came knocking again. — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 8 Sep. 2026 Sais said the men shouted homophobic and racist slurs before punching him, knocking him to the ground and leaving him with injuries to his face and head. — Nicole Buss, Sacbee.com, 7 Sep. 2026 The rip currents and massive surf are capable of capsizing small boats, knocking people off jetties and pulling swimmers out to sea. — Rosanna Xia, Los Angeles Times, 7 Sep. 2026 While significantly smaller than Nvidia, Google or Apple, Broadcom shares are knocking on a $2 trillion valuation. — Michael Khouw, CNBC, 31 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for knocking

Verb

Of course, Preece’s move into the field meant bumping out another driver.

— Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 5 Sep. 2026
Bonhams is bumping its buyer’s premium up to 30 percent from 28 percent for bids of £25,000 ($33,700) or less.

— Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of bumping

Verb

The Orioles scored only one run over their previous three games against Boston, but Joey Cantillo (9-9) did plenty to help them out of their slump, allowing 3 hits and 5 walks and hitting 2 batters in 2 1/3 innings.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 8 Sep. 2026
In men’s tennis, before even hitting the ball, the server has around a 66 percent chance of winning the point.

— Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of hitting

Verb

Looming over it all is billionaire Matthew Prince, a Park City resident who had expressed frustrations with how Vail Resorts has operated its Park City property, blaming Vail CEO Rob Katz for the company’s financial troubles.

— Rohan Goswami, semafor.com, 11 Sep. 2026
There have been major protests in Spain in response to the migrant arrivals, with critics blaming the Sánchez government for its handling of the crisis, and his political opponents accusing him of pandering to Morocco.

— CBS News, CBS News, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of blaming

Verb

Carrington was ejected from the game in the first half after smacking Cunningham across the face during Cunningham's layup attempt.

— Jackson Thompson OutKick, FOXNews.com, 9 Aug. 2026
Catcher Daniel Susac followed up Wednesday’s two-home-run game by smacking a two-run shot, and the Giants bullpen didn’t break down while protecting a 4-1 victory.

— Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 31 July 2026

Definition of smacking

Verb

As public support for Clancy grew by the day, online sleuths went to work challenging the prosecution’s narrative, closely scrutinizing witnesses and criticizing authorities for not investigating certain details more aggressively.

— Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 4 Sep. 2026
Some fans viewed the collaboration cynically, criticizing it as a way for Beyoncé to capitalize on Selena’s legacy, or to court more Latino fans.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of criticizing

Verb

The Chicago Cubs center fielder made an Air Jordan-style catch during Friday’s 6-1 win over the Miami Marlins, banging into a nook where two walls converge at funky loanDepot park.

— Patrick Mooney, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
Last week, law enforcement in the city of Kirkland, Washington (just northeast of Seattle) responded to a 911 call from a resident reporting loud banging inside their home.

— Mack DeGeurin, Popular Science, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of banging

Verb

At the weigh-ins and face-off for the IBF heavyweight championship fight, Itauma shoved Hrgovic off the stage and the latter retaliated by slapping the former's face.

— Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2026
Already, Skubal’s joining in on pregame handshake lines and slapping the dugout railing in time to Roki Sasaki’s warm-up music.

— Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026