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
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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
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
This past Friday, Fitchburg (1-6) became the latest school to break through, knocking off Monument Mountain with a 22-6 victory.
—Brendan Connelly, Boston Herald, 26 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
Four top-10 teams lost this week, with Oregon beating Penn State 30-24 in double overtime, Ole Miss knocking off LSU 24-19 and Alabama winning 24-21 against Georgia on Saturday in addition to Florida State’s Friday loss.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 28 Sep. 2025
Tom Pelphrey stars as one of the home invaders who is knocking off a biker gang’s stash houses.
—Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
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
This past Friday, Fitchburg (1-6) became the latest school to break through, knocking off Monument Mountain with a 22-6 victory.
—Brendan Connelly, Boston Herald, 26 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
Four top-10 teams lost this week, with Oregon beating Penn State 30-24 in double overtime, Ole Miss knocking off LSU 24-19 and Alabama winning 24-21 against Georgia on Saturday in addition to Florida State’s Friday loss.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 28 Sep. 2025
Tom Pelphrey stars as one of the home invaders who is knocking off a biker gang’s stash houses.
—Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for knocking off
Verb
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Federal judge Julia Kobick in Massachusetts issued a preliminary injunction stopping the Administration from enforcing the policy against Orr and six other individual plaintiffs in April.—
Chad de Guzman,
Time,
7 Nov. 2025
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Now, a passenger aircraft that can complete make the journey without stopping is in the final stages of construction, Qantas announced on Friday, releasing first images of the plane as it is assembled.—
Issy Ronald,
CNN Money,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Labour will be very wary of abandoning its election manifesto promise not to raise income tax, however, and any moves to do so will leave the party wide open to attacks from opponents such as the Conservatives and increasingly popular party, Reform.—
Holly Ellyatt,
CNBC,
4 Nov. 2025
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Perhaps the biggest name to distance itself from BHV is Disney, with Disneyland Paris abandoning plans to design BHV’s famous Christmas window displays this year, according to CNN affiliate BFMTV.—
Joseph Ataman,
CNN Money,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
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That hefty figure is also one of many variables, since virtually every buyer chooses to customize their Celestiq in some way, adding or subtracting from the final cost.—
Erik Shilling,
Robb Report,
31 Oct. 2025
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To estimate your optimal heart rate zone for exercise, start by subtracting your age from 220 to get your maximum heart rate.—
Cyra-Lea Drummond,
Verywell Health,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The man tried to escape, but the group followed him, knocked him to the ground and continued attacking him before robbing him of his watch and shoes, prosecutors said.—
Jennifer Rodriguez,
Miami Herald,
23 Oct. 2025
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The series also links Gein — who confessed to killing two women, robbing countless graves and making items of the body parts of his victims — to both the sensation about true crime stories and to many horror films that featured over-the-top killers.—
Victoria Edel,
PEOPLE,
20 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Johnson, Evans and Pascal – and while certainly thoughtful, the film's strengths are upended by a mood-murdering melancholy.—
Saman Shafiq,
USA Today,
6 Nov. 2025
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In the worst killing spree in Germany’s post-war history, a former nurse was jailed in 2019 for life for murdering 85 of his patients.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
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After losing star tight end Tucker Kraft , who led the team with 489 yards receiving and six touchdowns, to a season-ending ACL injury, Green Bay was on the hunt to find a suitable replacement.—
Michael Gallagher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Nov. 2025
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Alexander suffered a season-ending torn PCL in his right knee in 2024.—
Brooks Kubena,
New York Times,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Charlotte Moore has made her first statement hire since quitting the BBC to join The Crown producer Left Bank.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
4 Nov. 2025
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Ariana Grande is opening up about nearly quitting music.—
Mitchell Peters,
Billboard,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
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You are entitled to a refund of the security deposit or any balance left after deducting legitimate charges, according to Legal Aid of North Carolina.—
Kendrick Marshall,
Charlotte Observer,
17 Oct. 2025
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The review added that the ongoing bit about the deducting from a charitable donation for longer speech set a negative tone.—
Emily Zemler,
Rolling Stone,
16 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Knocking off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/knocking%20off. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.
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