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
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
The damaging winds uprooted trees and tore roof shingles in neighborhoods around Carmichael, knocking out power to more than 13,000 SMUD customers in Sacramento’s northeast suburbs.
—Sacbee.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Bugner regained his triple crown — the Euro, Brit and Commonwealth titles — in his next bout, knocking out Richard Dunn in the first round.
—Erik Pedersen, Deadline, 1 Sep. 2025
Reaching for a portable clothes steamer is my go-to hack for knocking out pesky creases in a flash.
—Maggie Horton, People.com, 22 Aug. 2025
Logic would suggest the pay TV providers may have an easier time knocking out a carriage deal with ESPN than normal because both sides should want to give customers authentication access to the ESPN app as soon as possible.
—Alex Sherman, CNBC, 21 Aug. 2025
Storms rolled through Green Bay Saturday afternoon, knocking out power for thousands in the area.
—Rob Reischel, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2025
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
The damaging winds uprooted trees and tore roof shingles in neighborhoods around Carmichael, knocking out power to more than 13,000 SMUD customers in Sacramento’s northeast suburbs.
—Sacbee.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Bugner regained his triple crown — the Euro, Brit and Commonwealth titles — in his next bout, knocking out Richard Dunn in the first round.
—Erik Pedersen, Deadline, 1 Sep. 2025
Reaching for a portable clothes steamer is my go-to hack for knocking out pesky creases in a flash.
—Maggie Horton, People.com, 22 Aug. 2025
Logic would suggest the pay TV providers may have an easier time knocking out a carriage deal with ESPN than normal because both sides should want to give customers authentication access to the ESPN app as soon as possible.
—Alex Sherman, CNBC, 21 Aug. 2025
Storms rolled through Green Bay Saturday afternoon, knocking out power for thousands in the area.
—Rob Reischel, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for knocking out
Verb
-
To reduce the risk of mosquito bites and West Nile virus, health officials recommend using insect repellent and wearing long sleeves and long pants when outdoors, especially during peak mosquito activity at dawn and dusk.—
Caroline Neal,
Louisville Courier Journal,
2 Oct. 2025
-
My social media pages feature all complexions, including fair, medium, deep, and dark, each wearing different blush tones.—
Essence,
Essence,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Most of the strikes occur in the summer, killing 20 people each year, according to the NWS.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
3 Oct. 2025
-
The emergency services Loeb was hearing were headed to the nearby Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue, where an assailant rammed a car into people before stabbing several members of the community, killing two.—
Ivana Kottasová,
CNN Money,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
So Much Fun) and others exhausting (the YSL Slime Language comps, 2023’s Business Is Business), as well as too many studio leaks unleashed via message board accounts.—
Mosi Reeves,
Rolling Stone,
29 Sep. 2025
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Each one of those alerts puts millions of lives on hold – part of Russia’s strategy of terrorizing and exhausting Ukraine’s civilian population.—
Daria Tarasova-Markina,
CNN Money,
25 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
So people shouldn’t swim against the current, which puts them at risk of tiring out.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA Today,
16 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The full moon in Sagittarius on June 11 reveals where your creative fire may be burning out due to overextension.—
Meghan Rose,
Glamour,
1 Oct. 2025
-
Many top performers are burning out not from overwork alone, but from the emotional toll of never feeling allowed to stop striving.—
Benjamin Laker,
Forbes.com,
19 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
On sale for $30, this sweatshirt and shorts set is a no-brainer for wearing out and about with sneakers.—
Mia Huelsbeck,
PEOPLE,
27 Sep. 2025
-
This past winter, the overhaul included the loss of Gleyber Torres, who was a two-time All-Star with the Yankees before refusing to move off of second base to accommodate Chisholm and eventually wearing out his welcome in the Bronx.—
Peter Chawaga,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
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This indicated that some fluid was washing out lutetium from rocks on the asteroid.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
10 Sep. 2025
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Brightness is stunning, colors pop naturally, and dark scenes stay detailed without washing out, which proves to be great for movie nights or gaming marathons.—
Shubham Yewale,
PC Magazine,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Soundbar Deals The Amazon Fire TV Soundbar Plus instantly enhances the sound on any TV without taking over your entire living room or draining your wallet.—
Juhi Wadia,
PC Magazine,
7 Oct. 2025
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Indeed, large swathes of Punjab and Sindh provinces, both key cotton-growing districts, are still draining out.—
Jasmin Malik Chua,
Sourcing Journal,
7 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Knocking out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/knocking%20out. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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