knocking up

Definition of knocking upnext
present participle of knock up, British

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 up With 200 hp worth of empty space to play with before knocking up against the 600-hp V12 Verado, Mercury is dialing up the overall output of the V10 range by adding a new 425-hp variant as the flagship of the family. New Atlas, 12 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for knocking up
Verb
  • Experts recommend waiting 30 to 60 minutes after waking to make your bed for a healthier, tidier space.
    Caroline Lubinsky, Martha Stewart, 31 Jan. 2026
  • What happens in the first minutes after waking can either reinforce those patterns or interrupt them.
    Dana Santas, CNN Money, 30 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • While there’s no evidence the bacteria are harmful to humans, awakening microbes that have lain dormant for thousands of years may sound like the plot of a sci-fi novel or movie.
    Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 20 Feb. 2026
  • The mystery starts with a fireball crashing into a remote woodland, awakening a terrifying creature hidden in the depths.
    Leo Barraclough, Variety, 16 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • In Hocus Pocus, Dani, her older brother Max (Omri Katz) and his crush Allison (Vinessa Shaw) have to save the children of Salem, Massachusetts after accidentally awaking the witch Sanderson sisters from their 300-year slumber.
    Glenn Garner, Deadline, 25 Oct. 2025
  • Tirso Ornelas’ seventh-inning grand slam triggered a late-game awaking as Triple-A El Paso beat host Sugar Land 13-2 on Wednesday.
    Jeff Sanders, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Knocking up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/knocking%20up. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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