1
as in stopping
to bring (as an action or operation) to an immediate end
knock it off!
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in abandoning
to stop doing (something) permanently
decided it was time to knock off telling fantastic fibs about her family background
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in subtracting
to take away (an amount or number) from a total
a proposal to knock 10 cents off the gasoline tax
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in robbing
to remove valuables from (a place) unlawfully
Bonnie and Clyde coped with the Great Depression by knocking off banks
Synonyms & Similar Words
5
as in murdering
to put to death deliberately
various assassins have tried to knock off the dictator over the years
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of knocking off
Atascocita rose to the occasion again, however, knocking off the Spartans in another overtime thriller.
—
Jon Poorman, Houston Chronicle, 3 Apr. 2026
Illinois State suffered an early exit from the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament but has since bounced back, knocking off Kent State, Wake Forest and Dayton en route to the semifinal round.
—Garrett Chorpenning, New York Times, 2 Apr. 2026
Texas, meanwhile, rode the momentum after knocking off likely NBA lottery pick AJ Dybantsa and BYU in the first round.
—Anne M. Peterson, Chicago Tribune, 22 Mar. 2026
Two of the biggest of the first day were Atlantic 10 champion Virginia Commonwealth — the 11th seed in the West Region — beating 6th seed and perennial power North Carolina, and Big South Champion High Point — a 12th seed in the West — knocking off 5th seed Wisconsin from the Big Ten.
—Josh Taylor, CBS News, 20 Mar. 2026
The Ladyjacks secured their trip to Austin by knocking off the top two seeds at the Southland Conference Tournament.
—Danny Davis, Austin American Statesman, 16 Mar. 2026
Three days after knocking off section top-seed Holy Family, Blake beat fourth-seed Minneapolis North 64-54 in the semifinals.
—Pioneer Press, Twin Cities, 11 Mar. 2026
Although the close game was unfamiliar for Madison, Brownfield was used to it after knocking off Shallowater by scoring five points in the final two seconds of the regional final last week.
—Ishmael Johnson, Dallas Morning News, 11 Mar. 2026
After a nonconference season that saw dizzying highs like the Central Connecticut State men knocking off Boston College and Rutgers, and Quinnipiac’s upset of Pittsburgh, there’ve been a flew slip-ups of late.
—Kels Dayton, Hartford Courant, 11 Feb. 2026
Jon Poorman, Houston Chronicle, 3 Apr. 2026
Illinois State suffered an early exit from the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament but has since bounced back, knocking off Kent State, Wake Forest and Dayton en route to the semifinal round.
—Garrett Chorpenning, New York Times, 2 Apr. 2026
Texas, meanwhile, rode the momentum after knocking off likely NBA lottery pick AJ Dybantsa and BYU in the first round.
—Anne M. Peterson, Chicago Tribune, 22 Mar. 2026
Two of the biggest of the first day were Atlantic 10 champion Virginia Commonwealth — the 11th seed in the West Region — beating 6th seed and perennial power North Carolina, and Big South Champion High Point — a 12th seed in the West — knocking off 5th seed Wisconsin from the Big Ten.
—Josh Taylor, CBS News, 20 Mar. 2026
The Ladyjacks secured their trip to Austin by knocking off the top two seeds at the Southland Conference Tournament.
—Danny Davis, Austin American Statesman, 16 Mar. 2026
Three days after knocking off section top-seed Holy Family, Blake beat fourth-seed Minneapolis North 64-54 in the semifinals.
—Pioneer Press, Twin Cities, 11 Mar. 2026
Although the close game was unfamiliar for Madison, Brownfield was used to it after knocking off Shallowater by scoring five points in the final two seconds of the regional final last week.
—Ishmael Johnson, Dallas Morning News, 11 Mar. 2026
After a nonconference season that saw dizzying highs like the Central Connecticut State men knocking off Boston College and Rutgers, and Quinnipiac’s upset of Pittsburgh, there’ve been a flew slip-ups of late.
—Kels Dayton, Hartford Courant, 11 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for knocking off
Verb
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Let’s imagine—in a case of truly terrible architectural planning—that there is only one extremely slow elevator, stopping at each floor and taking one minute per floor.—
Manon Bischoff,
Scientific American,
21 Apr. 2026
-
Schools brought in counselors for the victims’ young classmates and community leaders called for a citywide reckoning on stopping domestic violence.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The same day, a judge sentenced her to serve three years of probation for abandoning Kha’liya’s body.—
Caroline Zimmerman,
Kansas City Star,
21 Apr. 2026
-
Fuqua thought about abandoning the project, but ultimately agreed to reconceive it instead.—
Kelefa Sanneh,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Briere said the Flyers' rebuild was entering its next phase, shifting from subtracting players to adding them.—
Tom Dougherty,
CBS News,
14 Apr. 2026
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The Bureau of Labor Statistics also revised data, adding an additional 34,000 jobs to January, showing a growth of 160,000, but subtracting 41,000 from February, showing a loss of 133,000.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
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He did get spared a blown save by Jo Adell robbing his third home run of the game on April 4.—
Jeff Fletcher,
Oc Register,
16 Apr. 2026
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The 31-year-old Bader, who signed a two-year deal this offseason, initially sustained the hamstring injury at the very end of spring training, robbing him of at-bats leading up to the season.—
Justice delos Santos,
Mercury News,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Bukele has accused them of murdering 200,000 people, including about 80,000 who disappeared without a trace.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
21 Apr. 2026
-
Israel has been murdering Palestinians for decades and is now committing genocide—and for the third year running, they’re welcomed back onto the stage.—
Kiana Mickles,
Pitchfork,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The Dayton Peace Accords spring to mind, named for the city that hosted talks ending the three years of bloodletting and civil war in Bosnia in the early 1990.—
Nic Robertson,
CNN Money,
21 Apr. 2026
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After vacating the conviction, the judge took the additional step of dismissing the murder charge against Martinez, ending the criminal case against him entirely.—
Shelly Bradbury,
Denver Post,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
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That would have meant alternating work days with her husband, relying on their family or one of the two quitting their job entirely.—
Idaho Statesman,
Idaho Statesman,
21 Apr. 2026
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But many people who start them end up quitting, either because obesity treatment is framed as a limited-duration intervention or because of the cost, loss of insurance or side effects.—
Suzanne Nuyen,
NPR,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Steube, whose southwest Florida constituents could benefit from the provision deducting personal casualty losses, has vowed to push the law forward.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
20 Apr. 2026
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The union has proposed sharing the revenue without deducting expenses to secure a larger share of gross revenue for the players.—
Chantel Jennings,
New York Times,
14 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Knocking off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/knocking%20off. Accessed 24 Apr. 2026.
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