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
Zelensky said in his nightly address Monday that between between January and May, Ukrainian troops have struck 15 Russian oil refineries, knocking out 40% of Russia’s main oil refining capacity.
—
Helen Regan, CNN Money, 2 June 2026
Strong to severe thunderstorms with brilliant lightning and booming thunder swept through the Kansas City area early Monday, knocking out power to thousands and downing some trees and limbs in the metro.
—Kansas City Star, 1 June 2026
But for those operating in the gray area—long lunches, two-hour walks, knocking out their latest DIY project while their Slack status stays green—AI adoption is not their friend.
—Robert Henderson, Forbes.com, 20 May 2026
Communities across the Upper Midwest are cleaning up after tornadoes and severe weather impacted the region over the weekend, damaging and destroying dozens of homes and knocking out power for tens of thousands.
—Chandelis Duster, NPR, 19 Apr. 2026
The two teams avoided each other last postseason, with the Oklahoma City Thunder knocking out the Nuggets on their way to the Western Conference finals.
—Anthony Bettin, CBS News, 14 Apr. 2026
Within minutes, a dark brew of sewage, industrial waste, and stormwater was rising through basements and businesses, hospitals and the central rail station, knocking out power and causing a billion dollars in damage.
—Eric Klinenberg, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026
Later in the decade, the Air Force deployed the more advanced BLU-114/B during the NATO bombing in the Balkans, knocking out more than 70% of Serbia’s national grid in a single night and plunging the country into darkness.
—Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 6 Apr. 2026
Geekom is one of the most consistent companies in the micro PC market, reliably knocking out little rectangles packed with processing power at ultra-low prices.
—K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 31 Mar. 2026
Helen Regan, CNN Money, 2 June 2026
Strong to severe thunderstorms with brilliant lightning and booming thunder swept through the Kansas City area early Monday, knocking out power to thousands and downing some trees and limbs in the metro.
—Kansas City Star, 1 June 2026
But for those operating in the gray area—long lunches, two-hour walks, knocking out their latest DIY project while their Slack status stays green—AI adoption is not their friend.
—Robert Henderson, Forbes.com, 20 May 2026
Communities across the Upper Midwest are cleaning up after tornadoes and severe weather impacted the region over the weekend, damaging and destroying dozens of homes and knocking out power for tens of thousands.
—Chandelis Duster, NPR, 19 Apr. 2026
The two teams avoided each other last postseason, with the Oklahoma City Thunder knocking out the Nuggets on their way to the Western Conference finals.
—Anthony Bettin, CBS News, 14 Apr. 2026
Within minutes, a dark brew of sewage, industrial waste, and stormwater was rising through basements and businesses, hospitals and the central rail station, knocking out power and causing a billion dollars in damage.
—Eric Klinenberg, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026
Later in the decade, the Air Force deployed the more advanced BLU-114/B during the NATO bombing in the Balkans, knocking out more than 70% of Serbia’s national grid in a single night and plunging the country into darkness.
—Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 6 Apr. 2026
Geekom is one of the most consistent companies in the micro PC market, reliably knocking out little rectangles packed with processing power at ultra-low prices.
—K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 31 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for knocking out
Verb
-
The actor David Merten, from the recent, Michael Urie-starring, gay version of Richard II, manages to both show off his arms and keep cool by wearing a pleated vest with no shirt underneath.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
7 June 2026
-
Seven European captains threatened to defy an order against wearing them, until, hours before England’s opening kickoff, FIFA announced that each would receive a yellow card.—
Chris Jones,
The Atlantic,
7 June 2026
Verb
-
Most of the strikes occur in the summer, killing 20 people each year, according to the NWS.—
STAR-TELEGRAM WEATHER BOT,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
2 June 2026
-
Basically, tick tubes are cardboard tubes that have been filled with cotton that’s been treated with permethrin, a tick-killing chemical.—
Molly Burford,
Southern Living,
2 June 2026
Verb
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But eventually, the structure itself needs to be questioned, because getting that balance right becomes the difference between retaining strong leaders and slowly exhausting them.—
Bronwen Sciortino,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2026
-
Sliding effortlessly from incisive observer to chaotic flirt to exhausting narcissist, Firstman is never not in on the joke.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
Meanwhile, Shenzhen startup EngineAI can be forgiven for tiring out its PM01 humanoid.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
7 June 2026
-
These design aspects allow users to operate it for extended periods without tiring or switching between different power outlets.—
Izzy Baskette,
PEOPLE,
12 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Having a system in place can help entrepreneurs hit ambitious goals without burning out the company or the people in it.—
Laura Jayne Waters,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2026
-
And the difference between making a career and building a flywheel is the difference between burning out at year ten and still going at year thirty.—
Daren Smith,
IndieWire,
27 May 2026
Verb
-
As plastics break down, whether that be through washing polyester clothing or wearing out our tires, microscopic particles of plastic shed, small enough to be picked up and transported by the air.—
Simmone Shah,
Time,
7 May 2026
-
If a device frequently drops connection and can be fixed with a wiggle, there’s a good chance something is wearing out in the cable.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Slow watering also prevents damage to the plants and protects the soil from washing out.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
19 May 2026
-
Andrew Tate is not washing out.—
Dan Adler,
Vanity Fair,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
But the recession of 1969–70 hit New York hard, draining the city of half a million jobs.—
Kevin Lozano,
Harpers Magazine,
2 June 2026
-
Making the powder involves several steps, including milk testing and pasteurization, the separation of curds and whey, draining and pasteurizing the liquid whey, and then sending it to a processing facility to remove more liquid via evaporation and spray drying.—
Alyssa Goldberg,
USA Today,
2 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Knocking out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/knocking%20out. Accessed 10 Jun. 2026.
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