KNOCKING OUT Synonyms: 35 Similar and Opposite Words

knocking out

verb

present participle of knock out

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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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of knocking out Residents of coastal communities in the Northeast slogged through floodwaters for a second day as a powerful nor’easter pummeled the shoreline Sunday, knocking out power to tens of thousands of homes. — Leah Willingham, Los Angeles Times, 27 Sep. 2026 The southpaw then made a big statement knocking out former contender Dillian Whyte in the first round last year. — ABC News, 28 Aug. 2026 Ukraine has intensified attacks on Wildberries' warehouses and factories over the last month, knocking out seven of the company's 10 largest logistics facilities, according to Ukraine's Ministry of Defense. — Aidan Stretch, CBS News, 18 Aug. 2026 These sturdy and reliable machines are great for both knocking out homework and streaming Netflix, with a big 24-inch FHD monitor that boasts good brightness and wide viewing angles. — K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 17 Aug. 2026 Ukrainian attacks inside Russia In its war against Russia, Ukraine’s mastery of long-range drones has resulted in successful bombing of over 11 major Russian refining complexes, knocking out a significant share of Russia’s fuel-making capability. — Amy Myers Jaffe, The Conversation, 4 Aug. 2026 The former champ got back in the win column in her most recent outing, knocking out Maycee Barber in March. — Trent Reinsmith, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026 Spain beat France, 2-0, in Tuesday’s semifinal in Arlington, Texas, knocking out perhaps the tournament’s best player, Kylian Mbappé, and one of the defining powers of modern World Cup soccer. — Rick Maese, Washington Post, 14 July 2026 The pig men were in the trailer, knocking out the pigs with anesthesia. — Will MacKin, New Yorker, 28 June 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for knocking out

Verb

For a decade, hundreds of Black women and girls have gathered in Kansas City wearing curls, coils, locs, braids and Afros for an annual photograph intended to challenge narrow ideas about what beautiful hair is supposed to look like.

— Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 2 Oct. 2026
Dixie D’Amelio sauntered in wearing a shimmering black Gucci dress.

— Elise Taylor, Vanity Fair, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of wearing

Verb

In truly horrific news, a Frankfort mom is accused of killing her 2-year-old son after allegedly following the trial of Lindsay Clancy with great interest.

— Hilary Gowins, Chicago Tribune, 26 Sep. 2026
Earlier this month, a fuel tanker crashed into other vehicles and exploded near the western city of Sanandaj, killing 11 people and injuring seven others.

— ABC News, ABC News, 26 Sep. 2026

Definition of killing

Verb

The gentle squeeze around your legs provides other surprising health benefits on exhausting travel days.

— Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 27 Sep. 2026
Commanders should seek positional advantages without exhausting their soldiers, manipulate the enemy’s movements when possible, and recognize when circumstances make pursuit or attack unwise.

— Ethan Teekah, Encyclopedia Britannica, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of exhausting

Verb

The candles are all different lengths, gradually burning out, and there’s no way of knowing how long each one is.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 24 Sep. 2026
Ngy worked construction and fished in his free time, eventually burning out after too many layoffs and inconsistent work following the housing crash of 2008.

— Joe Cermele, Outdoor Life, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of burning out

Verb

Many astronomers concluded that big black holes dotted the universe, washing out the light of the stars in their host galaxies.

— Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 14 Sep. 2026
The scalp scrubs that made our final list lathered well and did a good job of washing out fully, no matter the size of the exfoliating particles.

— Brigitt Earley, Glamour, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of washing out

Verb

This severe segmentation can be emotionally draining and erodes commitment to the organization.

— Catherine Bell, Forbes.com, 1 Oct. 2026
Teams devised an unprecedented bit of spaceship surgery to replace the valve without draining the propellant and disassembling the spacecraft, steps that would have triggered a much longer delay.

— Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of draining

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“Knocking out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/knocking%20out. Accessed 3 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of knocking out

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