1
as in winning
to receive as return for effort
she's knocking down a good salary, but she has to work very hard
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in taking down
to take apart
right after the holidays the stores start to knock down the window displays
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in downing
to strike (someone) so forcefully as to cause a fall
the overexcited dog knocked the toddler down
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in reducing
to make smaller in amount, volume, or extent
they'll have to knock down the price of those televisions if they expect to sell any
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of knocking down
That's not with decoys, that's not with other means that would try to misdirect our interceptors from knocking down incoming missiles with nuclear warheads on them.
—
ABC News, 2 Nov. 2025
The contestants then had to compete in a physically taxing challenge that involved pushing a heavy cart along a bumpy path, stacking sand bags, climbing ladders, knocking discs off poles, and then finally knocking down four bamboo targets.
—Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Oct. 2025
And the autumn Paris weather played nice — just a few gusts knocking down some lamps and a few showers prompting umbrellas to save our gear!
—Greg Palkot, FOXNews.com, 24 Oct. 2025
But his abrupt reversal sparked outrage amid images of a bulldozer knocking down walls.
—Kathryn Palmer, USA Today, 23 Oct. 2025
The clip shows one feline running in circles with a bag stuck on its head, bumping into the furniture and nearly knocking down the home decor.
—Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Oct. 2025
The footage showed the elephant, which may have weighed 10,000 pounds, knocking down a female tourist into the waters with her trunk, and then briefly pinning her before giving up, the outlet reported.
—David Chiu, PEOPLE, 7 Oct. 2025
Firefighters initially took a defensive stance, fighting the blaze from the outside the building to stop its spread, before knocking down the flames enough for crews to enter the business, which had its windows boarded up because of vandalism earlier in the week.
—Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 2 Oct. 2025
The first clue directs teams to an ice rink where duos must push each other on sleds with the goal of knocking down bowling pins.
—Nick Caruso, TVLine, 25 Sep. 2025
ABC News, 2 Nov. 2025
The contestants then had to compete in a physically taxing challenge that involved pushing a heavy cart along a bumpy path, stacking sand bags, climbing ladders, knocking discs off poles, and then finally knocking down four bamboo targets.
—Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Oct. 2025
And the autumn Paris weather played nice — just a few gusts knocking down some lamps and a few showers prompting umbrellas to save our gear!
—Greg Palkot, FOXNews.com, 24 Oct. 2025
But his abrupt reversal sparked outrage amid images of a bulldozer knocking down walls.
—Kathryn Palmer, USA Today, 23 Oct. 2025
The clip shows one feline running in circles with a bag stuck on its head, bumping into the furniture and nearly knocking down the home decor.
—Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Oct. 2025
The footage showed the elephant, which may have weighed 10,000 pounds, knocking down a female tourist into the waters with her trunk, and then briefly pinning her before giving up, the outlet reported.
—David Chiu, PEOPLE, 7 Oct. 2025
Firefighters initially took a defensive stance, fighting the blaze from the outside the building to stop its spread, before knocking down the flames enough for crews to enter the business, which had its windows boarded up because of vandalism earlier in the week.
—Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 2 Oct. 2025
The first clue directs teams to an ice rink where duos must push each other on sleds with the goal of knocking down bowling pins.
—Nick Caruso, TVLine, 25 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for knocking down
Verb
-
The title-winning standard has been lower in recent years; City won it with 86, 93, 89 and 91 points between 2020-21 and 2023-24 and Liverpool with 84 points last season, but some of those totals give a false impression.—
Oliver Kay,
New York Times,
8 Nov. 2025
-
Get tech-smarter on your schedule Award-winning host Kim Komando is your secret weapon for navigating tech.—
The Kim Komando Show,
FOXNews.com,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Following an intense comeback that ended with Texas taking down the Bulldogs 45-38 in overtime, Sarkisian voiced his irritation with the report.—
Jordan Sigler,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Oct. 2025
-
In 2024, Brock lost the regular-season contest 38-0 but put together a shocking bounce-back performance in the regional finals, taking down Graham 12-10 in triple overtime.—
Charles Baggarly,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Take William Shakespeare, who is often portrayed as a carouser, downing pints while exchanging barbs with his fellow writers, cheating on his wife with both men and women, passionately engaging his quill to reimagine the very nature of the human being.—
Isaac Butler,
The Atlantic,
3 Nov. 2025
-
Prosecutor Andrew Figliuzzi claimed Chambers dined at a Houston restaurant before hitting three bars on the night of the crash, per the Chronicle, allegedly downing at least six alcoholic beverages and using cocaine.—
KC Baker,
PEOPLE,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
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According to the current lawsuit, Fletcher has not paid his half of the minimum $1,500 per month restitution for the existing settlement, but his ex-wife has paid her portion, reducing the restitution balance to just under $56,000.—
Nicole Blanchard,
Idaho Statesman,
3 Nov. 2025
-
These are all part of standard advice for good sleep hygiene, which also includes reducing screen use before bed and creating a regular evening routine, like reading or listening to calming music.—
Katia Hetter,
CNN Money,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
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My daughter and son earning advanced degrees from LSU and a third who began his career working at the university.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Many outlets began operating independently, earning revenue through advertising.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The Court’s dismantling of Reconstruction was orchestrated by John Archibald Campbell, a white attorney and former Supreme Court Justice who had voted with the majority in Dred Scott.—
Equal Justice Initiative,
USA Today,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Now, rather than dismantling the exhibit, the penthouse is being offered for sale with all of the works included.—
Tori Latham,
Robb Report,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Tu knows this season will look and feel a lot different for people this year (between the limited funds for gifts, traveling to see family and dropping money on once-a-year expenses).—
Kimberly Wilson,
Essence,
7 Nov. 2025
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The Arizona transfer torched KU last year, shooting 7-for-11 from the field and dropping 19 points.—
Shreyas Laddha,
Kansas City Star,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
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As Arizona squeezes more money from its decreasing share of river water, freighting every drop with critical industries and a booming housing market, the price of water is bound to keep climbing.—
Austin Corona,
AZCentral.com,
6 Nov. 2025
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The effect of climate change on traditional bear food sources, a steep population decline in rural areas, and the decreasing number of hunters have been cited as factors driving the rise in bear encounters.—
Micah McCartney,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Knocking down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/knocking%20down. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.
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