1
as in robbing
to remove valuables from (a place) unlawfully
he knocked over six convenience stores before getting caught
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
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 over
When two people pop a small confetti cannon into the air, Speed launches himself back with a cry, knocking over the set and barely missing the cake that has his face on it.
—
Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 5 Sep. 2025
Many cat owners have seen their cat sleeping in a sunny patch on the bed, or even knocking over plants and whatever else is in the way to get an ideal window-napping position.
—Meghan Holmes, Treehugger, 7 Aug. 2025
Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 5 Sep. 2025
Many cat owners have seen their cat sleeping in a sunny patch on the bed, or even knocking over plants and whatever else is in the way to get an ideal window-napping position.
—Meghan Holmes, Treehugger, 7 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for knocking over
Verb
-
Three years before the famed film was released, Wojtowicz and a friend held up a Brooklyn bank in a 14-hour hostage ordeal, allegedly robbing the bank to help pay for his transgender partner’s gender-affirming surgery.—
Angela Andaloro,
PEOPLE,
4 Oct. 2025
-
By Saturday morning, after robbing the second in Belmont, he was handcuffed.—
Théoden Janes,
Charlotte Observer,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Russia's Defense Ministry reported downing a total of 2,788 long-range Ukrainian drones during September, at an average of just under 93 per day.—
David Brennan,
ABC News,
1 Oct. 2025
-
Jim Lorentz crossed paths with the American Motel in Wheat Ridge many times — whether as a cop hauling out a domestic violence suspect, as a diner downing comfort food in the restaurant or as a guest in the Elvis suite on his wedding night.—
John Aguilar,
Denver Post,
21 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Federal officials started only 14 lawsuits over the period, dropping below the lows during the Biden administration, the story stated.—
Dinah Voyles Pulver,
USA Today,
3 Oct. 2025
-
Heat advisories may expand north by midweek, and overnight lows will remain unusually warm, barely dropping below the 70s.—
Brandi D. Addison,
jsonline.com,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Even when Osborne dips into country or wraps with a hint of reggae, its songs rip – if only in the sense of ripping off a Band-Aid.—
Joe Lynch,
Billboard,
19 Sep. 2025
-
On Tuesday, a Miami federal judge ordered Graham’s immediate surrender to the Bureau of Prisons after sentencing him to seven years for ripping off millions from his mother.—
Jay Weaver,
Miami Herald,
17 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The footage showed the elephant, which may have weighed 10,000 pounds, knocking down a female tourist into the waters with her trunk, and then briefly pinning her before giving up, the outlet reported.—
David Chiu,
PEOPLE,
7 Oct. 2025
-
Firefighters initially took a defensive stance, fighting the blaze from the outside the building to stop its spread, before knocking down the flames enough for crews to enter the business, which had its windows boarded up because of vandalism earlier in the week.—
Darrell Smith,
Sacbee.com,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Tire tread depth - Checking your tire tread before hitting the road is important, as low or no tread can lead to sliding.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
5 Oct. 2025
-
The Dodgers are one of the better teams in baseball at hitting changeups from lefties like Sánchez.—
Charlotte Varnes,
New York Times,
5 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Knocking over.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/knocking%20over. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share