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
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5
as in murdering
to put to death deliberately
various assassins have tried to knock off the dictator over the years
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of knocking off
Now three weeks into jogging on his full body weight, Kittle is looking forward to getting cleared for football movements — run blocking, pass protection, route running, and rust knocking off.
—
Cam Inman, Mercury News, 4 June 2026
Chris Curry’s club got to this point by sweeping the Hattiesburg Regional, knocking off host Southern Miss on Friday and then beating Jacksonville State on Saturday and Sunday.
—Mitch Light, New York Times, 3 June 2026
What wasn’t was Eastern Michigan and Oceanside’s Leovao twins first surviving Sunday’s stroke-play cut from 30 to 15 teams, then advancing to Tuesday morning’s quarterfinals, then knocking off Texas in dramatic fashion to reach the afternoon semis.
—Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 May 2026
Their reward for knocking off the second-best team in the conference was a short turnaround trip to high altitude to face the top team in Colorado.
—Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 27 May 2026
Vegas has reached its fifth conference final in its nine-year existence by reeling off 15 wins in 20 games under Tortorella, knocking off Utah and then Anaheim in the playoffs.
—Nate Peterson, Denver Post, 19 May 2026
Atascocita rose to the occasion again, however, knocking off the Spartans in another overtime thriller.
—Jon Poorman, Houston Chronicle, 3 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
Cam Inman, Mercury News, 4 June 2026
Chris Curry’s club got to this point by sweeping the Hattiesburg Regional, knocking off host Southern Miss on Friday and then beating Jacksonville State on Saturday and Sunday.
—Mitch Light, New York Times, 3 June 2026
What wasn’t was Eastern Michigan and Oceanside’s Leovao twins first surviving Sunday’s stroke-play cut from 30 to 15 teams, then advancing to Tuesday morning’s quarterfinals, then knocking off Texas in dramatic fashion to reach the afternoon semis.
—Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 May 2026
Their reward for knocking off the second-best team in the conference was a short turnaround trip to high altitude to face the top team in Colorado.
—Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 27 May 2026
Vegas has reached its fifth conference final in its nine-year existence by reeling off 15 wins in 20 games under Tortorella, knocking off Utah and then Anaheim in the playoffs.
—Nate Peterson, Denver Post, 19 May 2026
Atascocita rose to the occasion again, however, knocking off the Spartans in another overtime thriller.
—Jon Poorman, Houston Chronicle, 3 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for knocking off
Verb
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Bussi got the nod after stopping 18 of 19 shots in relief of Andersen in Game 3 in the third period and two overtimes.—
Michael Russo,
New York Times,
10 June 2026
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Afterward, locals recommend stopping at Lake Hollywood Park for fresh fruit topped with Tajín and chamoy.—
Alia Beard Rau,
USA Today,
10 June 2026
Verb
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The move suggests a broader shift in Tehran, where a new generation of leaders is increasingly abandoning the cautious, reactive approach that long defined the Islamic Republic’s strategy towards its adversaries.—
Abbas Al Lawati,
CNN Money,
10 June 2026
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These networks are viewed with less enthusiasm in the age of streaming, because more consumers are abandoning their cable subscriptions in favor of streaming services.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
10 June 2026
Verb
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What did help ease respondent's minds, based on the survey results, was having a higher net worth, found by subtracting a household's liabilities from its assets.—
Kamaron McNair,
CNBC,
30 May 2026
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This measures the degree by which tuition, donations and investment revenue cover a college’s educational expenses by subtracting its core expenses from its core revenues and dividing the difference by its core revenues.—
Matt Schifrin,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2026
Verb
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In the late 1990s, officers from a gang unit in the LAPD’s Rampart Division were accused of robbing people and planting evidence, among other crimes.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
4 June 2026
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This talent is noticed by Josh Gad (yes, played by Josh Gad) who puts Doorman into his bank-robbing heist movie franchise.—
Mike Ryan,
IndieWire,
3 June 2026
Verb
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Nick Reiner, accused of murdering his parents, director Rob and producer Michele Reiner, has filed a legal petition to tap his trust fund for his criminal defense.—
Emily St. Martin,
Los Angeles Times,
9 June 2026
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Murdaugh, 57, was convicted in March 2023 of murdering his wife, Maggie, 52, and their 22-year-old son, Paul, at the family’s sprawling hunting estate in Colleton County in June 2021.—
Sarah Rumpf-Whitten,
FOXNews.com,
8 June 2026
Verb
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That James left Northeast Ohio without ending Cleveland’s excruciating championship drought—the city hadn’t won a major pro sports title since 1964—added to the furor.—
Sean Gregory,
Time,
9 June 2026
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Like Danault, wingers Corey Perry and Warren Foegele were also dealt for draft picks, while Fiala and Kuzmenko sustained season-ending injuries in February.—
Andrew Knoll,
Daily News,
9 June 2026
Verb
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The mean probability of voluntarily quitting one’s job increased to the highest level in more than three years.—
Alicia Wallace,
CNN Money,
8 June 2026
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According to the American College of Cardiology, first-line strategies for managing high blood pressure include quitting smoking, eating a heart-healthy diet, and increasing physical activity.—
Fran Kritz,
Verywell Health,
4 June 2026
Verb
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Kean is counting on voters rewarding him for tax cuts that Trump signed into law last year, including easing the restrictions on deducting state and local taxes, or SALT, a big issue for upper middle-class homeowners in high-tax blue states like New Jersey.—
Dave Goldiner,
New York Daily News,
26 May 2026
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Stop adding to the system and start deducting from it.—
Aaron Levine,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Knocking off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/knocking%20off. Accessed 11 Jun. 2026.
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