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
In May, a tree fell, knocking out the B&B’s power.
—
Sarah Henry, Louisville Courier Journal, 13 Oct. 2025
In 2018, after knocking out the Yankees in the ALDS, the Red Sox blasted the tune.
—The Athletic Mlb Staff, New York Times, 9 Oct. 2025
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
Sarah Henry, Louisville Courier Journal, 13 Oct. 2025
In 2018, after knocking out the Yankees in the ALDS, the Red Sox blasted the tune.
—The Athletic Mlb Staff, New York Times, 9 Oct. 2025
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for knocking out
Verb
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Of course, the heaviest anti-Shannon edit came from Sage, who noticed everything from the register of Shannon’s voice changing to her adversary being a giant shark wearing a cute seal mask.—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
23 Oct. 2025
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Earlier in the day, Kardashian was spotted attending the All's Fair premiere in Paris wearing a baby blue vintage Dior by John Galliano gown from the house's Spring/Summer 2000 collection.—
Ingrid Vasquez,
PEOPLE,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
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By refusing to specify details of the case, the government keeps the possibility alive of changing their reasoning or their claims to have the same effect for different reasons—just as the mob changes its reasoning for killing Cinna.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
23 Oct. 2025
-
Local police and first responders are also accused of failing to take Davis’ threats of killing someone seriously.—
Sean Neumann,
PEOPLE,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
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In today’s housing market, even the lucky ones often face exhausting ordeals and need to stretch their budgets to land a home.—
Samantha Delouya,
CNN Money,
21 Oct. 2025
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Betelgeuse, formally known as Alpha Orionis, will one day end its life in a spectacular supernova explosion upon exhausting the last of its fuel, which could be as bright as the full moon.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
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This constant barrage overshadows the self-care experience, hijacking my focus and frankly, tiring me out.—
Caelan McMichael,
Allure,
7 Oct. 2025
-
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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At senior levels, this often results in leaders living under constant stress and burning out quickly.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
26 Oct. 2025
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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
Verb
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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 October, a full supermoon has graced our skies, washing out the Draconid meteor shower.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
13 Oct. 2025
-
This indicated that some fluid was washing out lutetium from rocks on the asteroid.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Some impersonated tax officers to frighten British pensioners into draining their life savings into suspicious bank accounts; others peddled irresistible student loan offers to American high schoolers.—
Snigdha Poonam,
The Dial,
28 Oct. 2025
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Picking the Wrong Location Planting fruit trees in overly shady spots or poorly draining soil inhibits fruiting and makes your plants more susceptible to pests, diseases, and rot.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
27 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Knocking out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/knocking%20out. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
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