1
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of knocking
Even 6 inches of moving water can pose a serious risk of knocking you off your feet.
—
Nc Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 30 Jan. 2026
Private bankers wealth managers and people looking for seed money will all come knocking.
—Lien De Pau, Forbes.com, 30 Jan. 2026
Back then, rising mortgage rates were knocking many buyers out of the market.
—Hailey Wang, Los Angeles Times, 29 Jan. 2026
Banchero’s impact Banchero scored on all three levels by knocking two 3-pointers, shooting 8-for-12 in the paint and 3-for-4 in the midrange.
—Jason Beede, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 Jan. 2026
Although free labor can help a candidate win, volunteers are also seen as a source of risk, best restricted to such drudge work as phone banking or door knocking.
—Charles Duhigg, New Yorker, 26 Jan. 2026
Raimi came knocking with his own return to the space, as Send Help is his first original film in 17 years, coming off of the most recent Doctor Strange entrant.
—David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 26 Jan. 2026
Councilman Wes Rogers, who represents the Northland, had recently gotten involved, too, even knocking on King’s door to attempt to diffuse tension among the neighborhood.
—Jenna Ebbers, Kansas City Star, 26 Jan. 2026
Guido followed him around like a puppy, from the very first day, always knocking on his door.
—Literary Hub, 22 Jan. 2026
Nc Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 30 Jan. 2026
Private bankers wealth managers and people looking for seed money will all come knocking.
—Lien De Pau, Forbes.com, 30 Jan. 2026
Back then, rising mortgage rates were knocking many buyers out of the market.
—Hailey Wang, Los Angeles Times, 29 Jan. 2026
Banchero’s impact Banchero scored on all three levels by knocking two 3-pointers, shooting 8-for-12 in the paint and 3-for-4 in the midrange.
—Jason Beede, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 Jan. 2026
Although free labor can help a candidate win, volunteers are also seen as a source of risk, best restricted to such drudge work as phone banking or door knocking.
—Charles Duhigg, New Yorker, 26 Jan. 2026
Raimi came knocking with his own return to the space, as Send Help is his first original film in 17 years, coming off of the most recent Doctor Strange entrant.
—David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 26 Jan. 2026
Councilman Wes Rogers, who represents the Northland, had recently gotten involved, too, even knocking on King’s door to attempt to diffuse tension among the neighborhood.
—Jenna Ebbers, Kansas City Star, 26 Jan. 2026
Guido followed him around like a puppy, from the very first day, always knocking on his door.
—Literary Hub, 22 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for knocking
Verb
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Jascoco The cows stampeded into a neighborhood, knocking over mailboxes, trampling fences, and bumping into cars as they were being chased.—
Julie Sharp,
CBS News,
28 Jan. 2026
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Video footage of the race showed the animals hopping into the road, seemingly out of nowhere, and bumping into several cyclists.—
Charlotte Phillipp,
PEOPLE,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Gold extended its relentless rally on Thursday, crossing past $5,500 per ounce and hitting another record high.—
Lee Ying Shan,
CNBC,
29 Jan. 2026
-
After Read discovered him dead in his former colleague's front yard, she was subsequently accused of hitting him with her SUV, sparking not one, but two lengthy and high-profile trials.—
Jordana Comiter,
PEOPLE,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Casey Higgins, however, said Price is ultimately responsible for disclosing conflicts of interest and argued blaming his subordinates was not a defense to corruption charges.—
James Queally,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Jan. 2026
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However, your friends are blaming you for asking valid questions of someone who is mishandling funds and directly impacting your quality of life.—
R. Eric Thomas,
Mercury News,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Another clip of the exchange posted by Reedy ended with Hamilton hopping into a van with other officers and slamming his door shut.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Jan. 2026
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McIntyre threw Fatu threw a table and then picked up Rhodes, slamming him into another table with a massive powerbomb.—
Blake Oestriecher,
Forbes.com,
25 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Things often turn uglier after nightfall, when the convoys return and the protesters sometimes grow angrier, shaking fences and occasionally smacking passing cars.—
Tim Sullivan,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Jan. 2026
-
My long-term goals are more important than smacking.—
Magi Helena,
Dallas Morning News,
15 Jan. 2026
Verb
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President Erdoğan mastered this approach—publicly criticizing rate decisions, invoking Islamic prohibitions on interest, signaling displeasure through state media—until governors either complied or departed.—
Güney Yıldız,
Forbes.com,
30 Jan. 2026
-
The Justice Department also launched a probe into Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey over their public statements criticizing the presence of ICE in the state.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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My ten-year-old granddaughter was marching and banging her little saucepan with a salad spoon.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
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Online posts questioning the city’s account continued into the week, and protesters have kept returning to the Hyatt, banging pots and chanting in subfreezing temperatures.—
Emiliano Tahui Gómez,
Austin American Statesman,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Part of the answer seems to be more brands willing to make early commitments that actually matter (and not just slapping logos on things) but investing in the media infrastructure that lets fans watch and follow women’s sports in the first place.—
Kimberly Wilson,
Essence,
26 Jan. 2026
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But 6-11 has a way of slapping you in the face.—
Sam McDowell
January 23,
Kansas City Star,
23 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Knocking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/knocking. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
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