1
as in stopping
to bring (as an action or operation) to an immediate end
knock it off!
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
The college football season ended Monday night with Indiana knocking off Miami in the College Football Playoff national championship game.
—
Sportsday Staff, Dallas Morning News, 20 Jan. 2026
The big upset of the week was Santa Margarita knocking off JSerra in a Trinity League game.
—Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 19 Jan. 2026
Therefore Primate and its promising central character turns more into a typical slasher flick, repeatedly knocking off the swimsuit-wearing teens one by one, his specialty being yanking out jaws and other bloody grossouts.
—Pete Hammond, Deadline, 8 Jan. 2026
Lindsey Barber scored a career-high 21 points as the Dartmouth girls basketball team avenged a loss earlier this season by knocking off New Bedford, 49-41, in a nonleague contest.
—Tom Mulherin, Boston Herald, 6 Jan. 2026
There were several games to keep an eye on — most notably the Arizona Wildcats knocking off the defending NCAA champion Florida Gators.
—Cole Sullivan, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2025
But the Panthers probably weren’t knocking off the Bills regardless of the backfield split, especially with three offensive linemen leaving with injuries.
—Joseph Person, New York Times, 28 Oct. 2025
Diehn followed in Loftus’ footsteps, knocking off Trivedi in straight sets and only allowing one point overall.
—Andrew Cornelius, Twin Cities, 22 Oct. 2025
But New York’s play has been lethargic since nearly knocking off the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 1.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 12 Oct. 2025
Sportsday Staff, Dallas Morning News, 20 Jan. 2026
The big upset of the week was Santa Margarita knocking off JSerra in a Trinity League game.
—Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 19 Jan. 2026
Therefore Primate and its promising central character turns more into a typical slasher flick, repeatedly knocking off the swimsuit-wearing teens one by one, his specialty being yanking out jaws and other bloody grossouts.
—Pete Hammond, Deadline, 8 Jan. 2026
Lindsey Barber scored a career-high 21 points as the Dartmouth girls basketball team avenged a loss earlier this season by knocking off New Bedford, 49-41, in a nonleague contest.
—Tom Mulherin, Boston Herald, 6 Jan. 2026
There were several games to keep an eye on — most notably the Arizona Wildcats knocking off the defending NCAA champion Florida Gators.
—Cole Sullivan, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2025
But the Panthers probably weren’t knocking off the Bills regardless of the backfield split, especially with three offensive linemen leaving with injuries.
—Joseph Person, New York Times, 28 Oct. 2025
Diehn followed in Loftus’ footsteps, knocking off Trivedi in straight sets and only allowing one point overall.
—Andrew Cornelius, Twin Cities, 22 Oct. 2025
But New York’s play has been lethargic since nearly knocking off the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 1.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 12 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for knocking off
Verb
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The controversy began at the end of a planning and zoning meeting last Thursday, when the council member raised concerns about Border Patrol agents stopping people in the community.—
Anna McAllister,
CBS News,
28 Jan. 2026
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States such as Minnesota should also look to civil law as a basis for stopping baleful and unlawful ICE tactics.—
Aziz Huq,
The Atlantic,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Goodbye Amazon Go Amazon is abandoning its homegrown physical grocery stores, known as Amazon Go and Amazon Fresh, a humbling end to an effort that began almost ten years ago as the online giant sought to expand its retail dominance into the brick-and-mortar world.—
Alexei Oreskovic,
Fortune,
28 Jan. 2026
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But the sudden thaw in relations with Washington has fueled suspicion among hard-line chavistas that Rodríguez is abandoning the movement’s deeply anti-American ideology.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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But subtracting one or more of the pending UFAs, particularly on defense, could hamper the Sharks’ ability to make the playoffs for the first time since 2019.—
Curtis Pashelka,
Mercury News,
23 Jan. 2026
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Every correct prediction is awarded a different number of points, calculated by subtracting the age of the deceased from 105.—
Christopher Borrelli,
Chicago Tribune,
21 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Sure, some out there were robbing old people, choking people, robbing them, beating them up, taking their money, but Troy just wasn’t like that.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Jan. 2026
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Exploring the lives of a boxer, a diner-robbing couple, a gangster's wife, and a pair of chatty hitmen, Pulp Fiction plays by its own rules in exploring how each of their messy lives intersects.—
Kevin Jacobsen,
Entertainment Weekly,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Elliott is accused of murdering retired FBI agent Owen Pollard, who was a partner in VanPoll firearms disposal.—
Oline H. Cogdill,
Sun Sentinel,
27 Jan. 2026
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In 2009, 22-year-old Amanda Knox was wrongfully convicted of murdering her roommate while studying abroad in Italy.—
Erin Lassner,
HollywoodReporter,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Powell this week oversees his third-to-last meeting as chair, with his term ending on May 15.—
Bryan Mena,
CNN Money,
28 Jan. 2026
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With the deadline approaching, a stake sale may be considered in the fiscal year ending March 2027.—
Ashutosh Joshi,
Bloomberg,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
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After quitting football, Zator threw himself entirely into wrestling for his senior year.—
Steve Millar,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Jan. 2026
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Some lifestyle changes support your heart health and help keep your heart working properly, such as eating a heart-healthy diet, exercising, and quitting tobacco.—
Vanessa Caceres,
Verywell Health,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Rather than deducting expenses, the 70% split remaining with the league would be used to cover costs.—
Jacob Feldman,
Sportico.com,
22 Jan. 2026
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In addition, Dawson evaded paying state taxes and payroll taxes by failing to file the necessary tax returns, while deducting payroll taxes from the teachers’ paychecks and using those deductions for himself, the criminal complaint alleges.—
Jason Green,
Mercury News,
22 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Knocking off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/knocking%20off. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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