KNOCKING UP Synonyms: 22 Similar and Opposite Words

knocking up

verb

present participle of knock up, British

as in waking

to cause to stop sleeping I asked the clerk at the hotel to knock me up at 7:00 a.m.

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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

Needing coffee immediately upon waking and experiencing afternoon fatigue, irritability, anxiety, difficulty concentrating, sleep disturbances, and sugar cravings.

— Marie Bladt, Vogue, 20 Sep. 2026
Police tape and cruisers created a perimeter on Eighth Street as officers moved through the encampment, shining lights, waking people up and telling them to leave so city crews in hazmat gear could begin clearing the space.

— Brad Hamilton, CBS News, 16 Sep. 2026

Definition of waking

Verb

The group uncovers betrayal within its own ranks and faces a battle for the fate of the world, ultimately awakening their true powers and restoring peace, though a new threat emerges quietly in the shadows.

— Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 1 Sep. 2026
The first thing Kontras remembers after his surgery is awakening and seeing his left arm still intact.

— Jeff Murray, Outdoor Life, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of awakening

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

Definition of awaking

Browse Nearby Words

knocking together

knocking up

knock off

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“Knocking up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/knocking%20up. Accessed 22 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of knocking up

verb

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