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
Japan’s Kaori Sakamoto and Ami Nakai and Glenn's teammate Alysa Liu followed and overtook her score, knocking her off the podium.
—
Greg Rosenstein, NBC news, 20 Feb. 2026
In the hunt for their own goal, the Americans kept knocking on the door, but couldn’t break through.
—Sean Gregory, Time, 20 Feb. 2026
Holder sped off, knocking the fence loose and onto the road.
—Angie Dimichele, Sun Sentinel, 19 Feb. 2026
After knocking and calling into the room for 15 to 20 minutes without a response, officers cleared the call.
—Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 17 Feb. 2026
Even 6 inches of moving water can pose a serious risk of knocking you off your feet.
—Ca Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 16 Feb. 2026
The two teams alternate shots, and there’s often quite a bit of knocking each other’s stones out of the circle.
—Dave Altimari, Hartford Courant, 16 Feb. 2026
Buzelis was still suspended midair when Collin Sexton backpedaled underneath the forward, knocking his legs backward to send the younger player crashing to the floor, stomach-first.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 13 Feb. 2026
That's when Palmer punched Simpson in the mouth, knocking him to the floor, court records say.
—Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 12 Feb. 2026
Greg Rosenstein, NBC news, 20 Feb. 2026
In the hunt for their own goal, the Americans kept knocking on the door, but couldn’t break through.
—Sean Gregory, Time, 20 Feb. 2026
Holder sped off, knocking the fence loose and onto the road.
—Angie Dimichele, Sun Sentinel, 19 Feb. 2026
After knocking and calling into the room for 15 to 20 minutes without a response, officers cleared the call.
—Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 17 Feb. 2026
Even 6 inches of moving water can pose a serious risk of knocking you off your feet.
—Ca Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 16 Feb. 2026
The two teams alternate shots, and there’s often quite a bit of knocking each other’s stones out of the circle.
—Dave Altimari, Hartford Courant, 16 Feb. 2026
Buzelis was still suspended midair when Collin Sexton backpedaled underneath the forward, knocking his legs backward to send the younger player crashing to the floor, stomach-first.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 13 Feb. 2026
That's when Palmer punched Simpson in the mouth, knocking him to the floor, court records say.
—Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 12 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for knocking
Verb
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There’s a lot of serendipity and people bumping into one another.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
18 Feb. 2026
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The top eight skiers advanced to the medal final and both Kauf and Anthony got higher scores, bumping Giaccio, 25, out of contention into ninth place.—
Lori Riley,
Hartford Courant,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Tire tread depth - Checking your tire tread before hitting the road is important, as low or no tread can lead to sliding.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
20 Feb. 2026
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Bench coach Jeff Pickler, third base coach Andy Gonzalez, first base coach Doug Bernier, assistant hitting coach Jordan Pacheco and Schaeffer all took players aside to point out the nuances of the contact play.—
Patrick Saunders,
Denver Post,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Deranque's death triggered a storm of recriminations, mostly blaming France Unbowed.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
19 Feb. 2026
-
Trump has singled out Moore for criticism, blaming him for a Potomac sewage spill, assailing his handing of Baltimore's bridge collapse and invoking a controversy over his military record.—
Francesca Chambers,
USA Today,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Allred has been criticized in some circles for publicly slamming Talarico.—
Gromer Jeffers Jr,
Dallas Morning News,
16 Feb. 2026
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The Motion Picture Association and, the Human Artistry Campaign issued statements last week slamming ByteDance.—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
15 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Shepard attached the head of a 6-iron golf club to his sample collecting tool and was recorded smacking a couple golf balls across the lunar landscape.—
Arizona Republic,
AZCentral.com,
6 Feb. 2026
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In his defense, Barnett took the stand to say there was no murder plot and that Thomas extorted him for the money using physical violence – knocking out his teeth, injured his left shoulder, and smacking his private parts.—
Sydney Pereira,
Miami Herald,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Sun Sentinel commentary criticizing legislation that would allow Broward Health and Memorial Healthcare System to collaborate overlooks the real needs of patients, and the data before us.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
20 Feb. 2026
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Some of the very people criticizing you are the ones asking for more access.—
Tony Maglio,
HollywoodReporter,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
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And Peters has been banging his head on his desk trying to get Congress to use it.—
Josh Tyrangiel,
The Atlantic,
10 Feb. 2026
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Agitators were seen blowing whistles, banging pots and pans, shaking metal barricades and striking the rails set up outside the property.—
Michael Dorgan,
FOXNews.com,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Even in the trailer, scenes of slapping dough, Robbie and Elordi kissing in the rain and Elordi licking a wall were telltale signs that this would be a heightened version of the actual romance depicted in the book.—
Ellise Shafer,
Variety,
13 Feb. 2026
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Sometimes the figure tries and fails to stand up, slapping itself with floppy, almost boneless limbs.—
Zachary Fine,
New Yorker,
9 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Knocking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/knocking. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
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