1
as in robbing
to remove valuables from (a place) unlawfully
he knocked over six convenience stores before getting caught
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in downing
to strike (someone) so forcefully as to cause a fall
knocked me over trying to get out the door
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of knocking over
The robot was captured on video at the Haidilao location approaching a table before pounding on it, then knocking over utensils and food in front of customers.
—
Isabel Yip, NBC news, 19 Mar. 2026
Bess finally blurted out, gesticulating and knocking over her glass of wine just as Sam opened a new bottle.
—Literary Hub, 2 Mar. 2026
Coach Travis Steele screamed at the officials at halftime, knocking over a speaker on his way off the court and picking up a technical foul.
—Joe Rexrode, New York Times, 28 Feb. 2026
When—and why—laughter works In the study, Sezer and her colleagues ran six experiments involving more than 3,000 participants who read about other people’s embarrassing mishaps, like dramatically knocking over a glass in a restaurant or enthusiastically waving at the wrong person.
—Angela Haupt, Time, 27 Feb. 2026
Jascoco The cows stampeded into a neighborhood, knocking over mailboxes, trampling fences, and bumping into cars as they were being chased.
—Julie Sharp, CBS News, 28 Jan. 2026
Again, the bots were not always gainly—one viral video showed a humanoid veering off a running track and knocking over a human spectator—but the atmosphere was one of dynamism and experimentation.
—James Vincent, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
The teaser opens with the good boy knocking over and breaking a glass bottle, then peeing on a newspaper declaring Superman’s triumph over Lex Luthor.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 11 Dec. 2025
Attendees could try their hand at knocking over tin cans, throwing lassos and a ring toss.
—Zoey Lyttle, PEOPLE, 31 Oct. 2025
Isabel Yip, NBC news, 19 Mar. 2026
Bess finally blurted out, gesticulating and knocking over her glass of wine just as Sam opened a new bottle.
—Literary Hub, 2 Mar. 2026
Coach Travis Steele screamed at the officials at halftime, knocking over a speaker on his way off the court and picking up a technical foul.
—Joe Rexrode, New York Times, 28 Feb. 2026
When—and why—laughter works In the study, Sezer and her colleagues ran six experiments involving more than 3,000 participants who read about other people’s embarrassing mishaps, like dramatically knocking over a glass in a restaurant or enthusiastically waving at the wrong person.
—Angela Haupt, Time, 27 Feb. 2026
Jascoco The cows stampeded into a neighborhood, knocking over mailboxes, trampling fences, and bumping into cars as they were being chased.
—Julie Sharp, CBS News, 28 Jan. 2026
Again, the bots were not always gainly—one viral video showed a humanoid veering off a running track and knocking over a human spectator—but the atmosphere was one of dynamism and experimentation.
—James Vincent, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
The teaser opens with the good boy knocking over and breaking a glass bottle, then peeing on a newspaper declaring Superman’s triumph over Lex Luthor.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 11 Dec. 2025
Attendees could try their hand at knocking over tin cans, throwing lassos and a ring toss.
—Zoey Lyttle, PEOPLE, 31 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for knocking over
Verb
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The series, which stars and is executive produced by Hamm, follows his character, a divorced and jobless hedge fund manager who turns to robbing his wealthy neighbors in an affluent suburb.—
Deirdre Durkan,
PEOPLE,
2 Apr. 2026
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As that was happening, prosecutors say the remaining suspects drew firearms and began robbing others in the studio.—
Sergio Candido,
CBS News,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Instead, your last week coincided with the publication of a New York Times profile of you railing at enemies while downing coffee at a burger bar in El Centro.—
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Mar. 2026
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The Hawks have won 40 games after downing the Grizzlies 146-107 on Monday night.—
Lauren Williams,
AJC.com,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
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All-Star point guard Jalen Brunson had 17 points and 10 assists to help the Knicks win their second consecutive game after dropping three in a row.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
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Aitken, last week, asked the city attorney to look into whether dropping the hometown name puts the baseball team in violation of its current lease through 2038 to play in the stadium.—
Victoria Le,
Oc Register,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Carter added nine points in the third quarter by knocking down his second 3-pointer of the night from the top of the key.—
Jason Beede,
The Orlando Sentinel,
4 Apr. 2026
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Senior wing Taylor Bigby has helped pick up some of the scoring load with her breakout run, but to make the Final Four, TCU will need both guards knocking down shots to alleviate the pressure that is sure to come on Miles.—
Steven Johnson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Gerhardt Konig hoped Thursday to persuade a Hawaiian jury that hitting his wife repeatedly with a rock was self-defense.—
April 2,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
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The film also was shown at a number of other festivals before hitting the awards circuit as the Palestinian entry for this year’s Academy Awards.—
Zach Dennis,
Charlotte Observer,
2 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Knocking over.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/knocking%20over. Accessed 7 Apr. 2026.
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