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 team went to the Eastern Conference finals last season after unexpectedly knocking off the defending world champion Boston Celtics in the second round before falling to the Indiana Pacers.
—
Robert Marvi, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 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
The Yankees beat the Orioles 3-2 in their regular season finale to finish 94-68, but the Blue Jays won their final game as well, knocking off the Rays 13-4 to clinch the franchise’s first AL East championship since 2015.
—Mac Cerullo, Boston 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
That is a big deal, both in terms of him knocking off the rust of reading a defense in real time and rekindling the chemistry with his offense.
—Adam Grosbard, Oc Register, 5 Sep. 2025
So, knocking off Benet seemed improbable, according to senior outside hitter Bridget Ferriter.
—Jeff Vorva, Chicago Tribune, 2 Sep. 2025
The ’Canes can instantly legitimize themselves by knocking off Notre Dame in its first game since playing for the national championship.
—Stewart Mandel, New York Times, 27 Aug. 2025
Robert Marvi, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 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
The Yankees beat the Orioles 3-2 in their regular season finale to finish 94-68, but the Blue Jays won their final game as well, knocking off the Rays 13-4 to clinch the franchise’s first AL East championship since 2015.
—Mac Cerullo, Boston 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
That is a big deal, both in terms of him knocking off the rust of reading a defense in real time and rekindling the chemistry with his offense.
—Adam Grosbard, Oc Register, 5 Sep. 2025
So, knocking off Benet seemed improbable, according to senior outside hitter Bridget Ferriter.
—Jeff Vorva, Chicago Tribune, 2 Sep. 2025
The ’Canes can instantly legitimize themselves by knocking off Notre Dame in its first game since playing for the national championship.
—Stewart Mandel, New York Times, 27 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for knocking off
Verb
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That suit, which Lukenbill’s attorneys Brad Carroll and Michael Laino filed July 11, was primarily concerned with stopping efforts by the city to limit occupancy at the bar.—
Graham Womack,
Sacbee.com,
3 Oct. 2025
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Chappell Roan’s new hair color Based on reviews of the New York shows, KC audiences should expect show-stopping moments, a new hair color for the famous redhead, an emotional speech of thanks and perhaps a special guest.—
Lisa Gutierrez,
Kansas City Star,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Still, large pools of undeployed capital remain available, and major institutional players show little sign of abandoning real estate as a core asset class.—
Lee Ying Shan,
CNBC,
1 Oct. 2025
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Democrats returned to Washington to demonstrate unity and accuse GOP leaders of abandoning negotiations.—
Hollie Silverman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Business inventories also shrank, subtracting over three percentage points from GDP.—
Amanda Castro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Sep. 2025
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The Boys & Girls Club donation counter Bargatze spoke ahead of the show about his effort to keep speeches on time by subtracting from a $100,000 donation to the Boys & Girls Club every time someone went over.—
Sandra Gonzalez,
CNN Money,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Three years before the famed film was released, Wojtowicz and a friend held up a Brooklyn bank in a 14-hour hostage ordeal, allegedly robbing the bank to help pay for his transgender partner’s gender-affirming surgery.—
Angela Andaloro,
PEOPLE,
4 Oct. 2025
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By Saturday morning, after robbing the second in Belmont, he was handcuffed.—
Théoden Janes,
Charlotte Observer,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The session proceeded without a live video-feed of the 22-year-old defendant charged with murdering the conservative influencer at a Utah college campus on September 10, alongside counts of felony discharge of a firearm, obstruction, and witness tampering.—
Robert Alexander,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Sep. 2025
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Then, in 2024, Gates and Richard James Romano were both charged with murdering Alliauna Green, a rising Oakland rapper who used the stage name Tan DaGod.—
Nate Gartrell,
Mercury News,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Brendan McDermid | Reuters Stocks registered gains for September and the third quarter, with the Dow ending yesterday's session at an all-time closing high.—
Alex Harring,
CNBC,
1 Oct. 2025
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The Giants started the year strong and looked to compete with the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Diego Padres for the division crown, but would collapse in the back half of the season and miss out on the playoffs entirely, ending 81-81.—
Hunter Mulholland,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
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But so did the number of people quitting their jobs — which is a sign of confidence in their prospects of finding a better job.—
Orianna Rosa Royle,
Fortune,
30 Sep. 2025
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James is in a much better mental place now, after quitting drinking and finding an effective therapist during the pandemic years.—
Brian Hiatt,
Rolling Stone,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
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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
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Using debt wisely can also offer tax advantages, such as deducting mortgage interest from taxable income.—
Gabriel Shahin,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Knocking off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/knocking%20off. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.
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