as in wearing
to use up all the physical energy of
the entire staff knocked itself out getting the project finished on time
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Recent Examples of knocking out
From the flu to the common cold, viruses keep knocking out Minnesotans this winter.
—
Jeff Wagner, CBS News, 17 Feb. 2026
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
In July 2024, an outage with cybersecurity company CrowdStrike plunged the country and beyond into chaos, knocking out services at airports, hospitals, grocery stores and more.
—Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 15 Jan. 2026
Microsoft’s Azure cloud network faced a major disruption Wednesday, knocking out access to popular platforms including Office 365, Minecraft, and Xbox Live.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 29 Oct. 2025
In May, a tree fell, knocking out the B&B’s power.
—Sarah Henry, Louisville Courier Journal, 13 Oct. 2025
In 2018, after knocking out the Yankees in the ALDS, the Red Sox blasted the tune.
—The Athletic Mlb Staff, New York Times, 9 Oct. 2025
The first, of course, came last year, and featured Cleveland knocking out the Tigers in a full-distance best-of-five ALDS.
—Ryan Ford, Freep.com, 29 Sep. 2025
And some vaccines are combination shots, knocking out three or four diseases with one injection, such as the measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine or the Diphtheria, tetanus, & acellular pertussis (DTaP) vaccine.
—ArsTechnica, 24 Sep. 2025
Jeff Wagner, CBS News, 17 Feb. 2026
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
In July 2024, an outage with cybersecurity company CrowdStrike plunged the country and beyond into chaos, knocking out services at airports, hospitals, grocery stores and more.
—Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 15 Jan. 2026
Microsoft’s Azure cloud network faced a major disruption Wednesday, knocking out access to popular platforms including Office 365, Minecraft, and Xbox Live.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 29 Oct. 2025
In May, a tree fell, knocking out the B&B’s power.
—Sarah Henry, Louisville Courier Journal, 13 Oct. 2025
In 2018, after knocking out the Yankees in the ALDS, the Red Sox blasted the tune.
—The Athletic Mlb Staff, New York Times, 9 Oct. 2025
The first, of course, came last year, and featured Cleveland knocking out the Tigers in a full-distance best-of-five ALDS.
—Ryan Ford, Freep.com, 29 Sep. 2025
And some vaccines are combination shots, knocking out three or four diseases with one injection, such as the measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine or the Diphtheria, tetanus, & acellular pertussis (DTaP) vaccine.
—ArsTechnica, 24 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for knocking out
Verb
-
Take Keke Palmer in a butter yellow and cream vintage Dior bustier dress with a scarf-tie waist, or Kate Hudson, who combined all the mid-10s and boho trends by wearing a leathery peplum and balloon pants by Chloé.—
Anna Cafolla,
Vogue,
16 Feb. 2026
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The post comes days after Meghan made a surprise solo appearance at the Fifteen Percent Pledge Gala in Los Angeles, wearing a dusty rose Harbison Studio gown with black piping and a dramatic black cape.—
Kim Willis,
USA Today,
15 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Also on Tuesday, Indivisible CT is conducting an anti-ICE rally on the state Capitol lawn, taking political aim at a federal agency that has fallen sharply out of public favor after killing two American citizens in Minnesota and roughing up scores of others.—
Don Stacom,
Hartford Courant,
17 Feb. 2026
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The ex-husband of former First Lady Jill Biden, who has been accused of killing his wife late last year, pleaded not guilty in the case during a virtual court appearance on Tuesday.—
Jessica Schladebeck,
Mercury News,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The selling pressure appears to be exhausting itself, setting the stage for a classic snap-back rally.—
Nishant Pant,
CNBC,
10 Feb. 2026
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Still, investors in tech giants are growing nervous because these firms are essentially exhausting their available capital to fund the infrastructure buildout, according to Luria.—
Jake Angelo,
Fortune,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
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This helps each step feel lighter and easier, diminishing fatigue and letting the wearer venture out farther without tiring.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
3 Dec. 2025
-
This constant barrage overshadows the self-care experience, hijacking my focus and frankly, tiring me out.—
Caelan McMichael,
Allure,
7 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Families are aging, caregivers are burning out, and too many people are forced into crisis placements or inappropriate settings because suitable housing options simply do not exist.—
Fay Lenz,
Hartford Courant,
9 Feb. 2026
-
This approach is gaining traction across sales, partnerships, and customer success teams, where professionals face constant pressure to be responsive without burning out.—
Matt Emma,
USA Today,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
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And yes, that extends to our federal government — in particular, the Department of Homeland Security, which is fast wearing out its welcome here.—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
The Orlando Sentinel,
8 Feb. 2026
-
Amazon Essentials Waisted Sweatshirt Dress Dresses aren’t just for wearing out—this sweatshirt dress is the perfect loungewear basic to stay comfortable at home on chilly days.—
Caley Sturgill,
Southern Living,
20 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Tiny water droplets can scatter light, washing out the vivid reds and oranges.—
Daisy Dobrijevic,
Space.com,
11 Feb. 2026
-
That's it—no waiting and washing out required.—
Kaitlin Clapinski,
InStyle,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
To prevent this from happening again, repot the peace lily in fresh soil that is well-draining.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
17 Feb. 2026
-
Wembanyama made a 3-pointer, but Raptors star Barnes ended it by draining his only shot of the game.—
Greg Beacham,
Twin Cities,
16 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Knocking out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/knocking%20out. Accessed 20 Feb. 2026.
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