1
as in bumps
to come into usually forceful contact with something
my knee knocked against the table leg when I tried to get up quickly
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in hits
to deliver a blow to (someone or something) usually in a strong vigorous manner
threatened to knock him upside the head if he didn't do as he was told
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in blames
to express one's unfavorable opinion of the worth or quality of
hey, don't knock it until you've tried it
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in blows
a hard strike with a part of the body or an instrument
gave the door a good knock
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in misfortunes
bad luck or an example of this
getting his college degree was a six year adventure not without its share of knocks along the way
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in setbacks
a change in status for the worse usually temporarily
the geneticist's reputation took a knock when several of his peers were unable to confirm his research findings
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of knocks
Bill Kelly, CBS News, 4 June 2026
And that's when a shot blasts through the door and knocks Lena to the ground.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 23 May 2026
Hudson showed some subtle support for the jesting knocks to her boyfriend by reposting a clip of his final joke shared on Fox News' official X page.
—Zoey Lyttle, PEOPLE, 18 May 2026
He wasn’t invited to the combine this winter and drew knocks from some evaluators for his lack of length and his inconsistency as a pass rusher.
—Dan Wiederer, New York Times, 11 May 2026
Temperatures will be near 81 degrees on Monday, and then turn cooler on Tuesday through Thursday after a cold front knocks them back into the mid- to upper 60s.
—Kansas City Star, 1 May 2026
The sweetness of the cherry tomatoes knocks the flavor profile out of the park.
—Jenna Sims, Southern Living, 1 May 2026
At that house, no one answered a Statesman reporter’s knocks on Monday, but Davidson told the Statesman that his family owns the whole lot.
—Idaho Statesman, 28 Apr. 2026
For one thing, precedent says that Waddle’s production this fall should, health permitting (knocks on wood), just about double whatever numbers Cooper puts out as a rookie for the J-E-T-S in 2026.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 25 Apr. 2026
Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 2 June 2026
Trusty, after all, has also felt the knocks professional sport can deliver.
—Greg O'Keeffe, New York Times, 16 May 2026
But a leg injury in preseason and other knocks have kept him out of the lineup.
—Michelle Kaufman
may 12, Miami Herald, 12 May 2026
The four hits the Tigers managed against Gray proved their only knocks of the night.
—Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 7 May 2026
The exterior Forged from anodized aluminum, this is Carl Friedrik's most hard-wearing cabin case yet, with new steel rivets adding extra protection against knocks and bumps to complement the robust aluminum frame.
—Charley Ward, Condé Nast Traveler, 5 Apr. 2026
Four Royals singled in succession — led by Collins and Kyle Isbel’s run-producing knocks.
—Kansas City Star, 4 Apr. 2026
Many owners told Bridge they were approached by knocks on the door and verbal offers.
—CBS News, 27 Mar. 2026
Management staff opened the apartment door after police received no response to their knocks.
—Brian Smith, Des Moines Register, 25 Mar. 2026
Verb
Enough sunshine on Sunday should push temperatures back into the low 90s before a cooler breeze knocks us back to normal on Monday.
—Bill Kelly, CBS News, 4 June 2026
And that's when a shot blasts through the door and knocks Lena to the ground.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 23 May 2026
Hudson showed some subtle support for the jesting knocks to her boyfriend by reposting a clip of his final joke shared on Fox News' official X page.
—Zoey Lyttle, PEOPLE, 18 May 2026
He wasn’t invited to the combine this winter and drew knocks from some evaluators for his lack of length and his inconsistency as a pass rusher.
—Dan Wiederer, New York Times, 11 May 2026
Temperatures will be near 81 degrees on Monday, and then turn cooler on Tuesday through Thursday after a cold front knocks them back into the mid- to upper 60s.
—Kansas City Star, 1 May 2026
The sweetness of the cherry tomatoes knocks the flavor profile out of the park.
—Jenna Sims, Southern Living, 1 May 2026
At that house, no one answered a Statesman reporter’s knocks on Monday, but Davidson told the Statesman that his family owns the whole lot.
—Idaho Statesman, 28 Apr. 2026
For one thing, precedent says that Waddle’s production this fall should, health permitting (knocks on wood), just about double whatever numbers Cooper puts out as a rookie for the J-E-T-S in 2026.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 25 Apr. 2026
Noun
Bouts of illness and small knocks to players such as rookie Gabriela Jaquez have forced the Sky to sign emergency replacement players and lean heavily on development players such as Aicha Coulibaly, who already has used up half of her eligible games for the Sky.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 2 June 2026
Trusty, after all, has also felt the knocks professional sport can deliver.
—Greg O'Keeffe, New York Times, 16 May 2026
But a leg injury in preseason and other knocks have kept him out of the lineup.
—Michelle Kaufman
may 12, Miami Herald, 12 May 2026
The four hits the Tigers managed against Gray proved their only knocks of the night.
—Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 7 May 2026
The exterior Forged from anodized aluminum, this is Carl Friedrik's most hard-wearing cabin case yet, with new steel rivets adding extra protection against knocks and bumps to complement the robust aluminum frame.
—Charley Ward, Condé Nast Traveler, 5 Apr. 2026
Four Royals singled in succession — led by Collins and Kyle Isbel’s run-producing knocks.
—Kansas City Star, 4 Apr. 2026
Many owners told Bridge they were approached by knocks on the door and verbal offers.
—CBS News, 27 Mar. 2026
Management staff opened the apartment door after police received no response to their knocks.
—Brian Smith, Des Moines Register, 25 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for knocks
Verb
-
Did join Kylian Mbappe and Ferenc Puskas as one of only three players to score a European Cup knockout-phase brace against Barcelona at Camp Nou, which bumps him up the list a bit.—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
26 May 2026
-
The department bumps the call to a higher-priority response (Priority 1) due to the potential for violence.—
Teri Figueroa,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
23 May 2026
Verb
-
Quick hits Cornerback Chau Smith-Wade, who is seeing time at safety, blitzed Pickett for a would-be sack during 11-on-11 work.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
11 June 2026
-
He's recorded 135 total tackles, 24 sacks, and 53 quarterback hits.—
Tom Ignudo,
CBS News,
11 June 2026
Verb
-
The filing blames the company’s significant debt burden and the costs of its retail spaces as primary reasons for the bankruptcy filing.—
Carlton Gillespie,
Miami Herald,
3 June 2026
-
Davenport blames it on the business’s contraction.—
Michael Schneider,
Variety,
28 May 2026
Noun
-
The biggest blows came from Garcia and Starling Marte.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
7 June 2026
-
Suddenly, Brooks began raining down blows on Sumner with a gutta-percha cane while an accomplice warded off lawmakers who tried to intervene.—
Rob Wolfe,
The Atlantic,
5 June 2026
Noun
-
Farmers markets — that humble and charming throwback to a bygone era — are also struggling with higher fuel prices, after weathering the economic calamities of the pandemic and other misfortunes.—
Andrew J. Campa,
Los Angeles Times,
9 May 2026
-
The Philadelphia singer-songwriter seeks out the mystical potential of quotidian misfortunes in a set of psychedelic-of-center bedroom pop songs.—
Lily Goldberg,
Pitchfork,
8 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Moscow’s efforts to recruit students for its own expert drone units have been mired in distrust and setbacks, according to Stepanenko, after Russia’s Ministry of Defense committed some drone operators to frontline ground assaults.—
Lauren Kent,
CNN Money,
14 June 2026
-
That aside, there has been precious little obvious progress and some notable setbacks.—
Anand Menon,
Time,
13 June 2026
Verb
-
There's somatic empathy, the automatic wince when someone slams their hand in a door.—
Dr. Marcus Collins,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
-
In addition, an open lid that slams shut can pinch small fingers, and the water in a toilet can be a drowning hazard.—
Abby Wolner,
Better Homes & Gardens,
2 June 2026
Verb
-
Wilhelm enters the room, removes most of his clothing and gets into bed with her, slaps her, pushes her away and then caresses her face and cradles her.—
Emily St. Martin,
Los Angeles Times,
4 June 2026
-
That direct relationship is what separates a true farm to table operation from a restaurant that simply slaps the phrase on a marketing page.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Sacbee.com,
22 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Knocks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/knocks. Accessed 15 Jun. 2026.
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