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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for knocks
Verb
-
Snow White hits theaters on March 21.—
Jack Smart,
People.com,
15 Mar. 2025 -
When the biggest name in the sport jumps teams, a tsunami hits.—
Olivia Hicks,
NPR,
15 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Competing in a high-speed, high-pressure environment taught me to make the quick decisions necessary to grow a company while remaining strong in the face of setbacks.—
Tom Dunlop,
Forbes,
6 Jan. 2025
-
Despite these setbacks, MBM Motorsports is confident, banking on Wallace's past success at superspeedways to see them through.—
Lydia Mee,
Newsweek,
5 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
But Wesley slams off the tape right then and there, and later side-eyes Graham in the break room.—
Matt Webb Mitovich,
TVLine,
7 Jan. 2025
-
Out of the blue, Ian attacks the man and slams a dagger into his heart.—
Lincee Ray,
EW.com,
4 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
To that end, the brief criticizes NASCAR’s argument it was not given a fair chance to respond to charter transfer issues related to 23XI Racing and Front Row’s plan to purchase two Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) charters.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
23 Dec. 2024
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Key Facts The report, concluding a 20-month investigation, details alleged ethical misconduct and criticizes Justice Clarence Thomas and his wife Ginni Thomas, Justice Samuel Alito and former Justice Antonin Scalia.—
Ty Roush,
Forbes,
21 Dec. 2024
Noun
-
Violence was entrenched as a byproduct of a government that ignored the tragedies faced by those like Shirley Vasquez and her neighbors.—
Cary Goodman,
New York Daily News,
5 Jan. 2025
-
In 1997, Peart was hit with the first of a double blast of tragedies.—
William Roberson,
Forbes,
4 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
Employers today want people who can roll with the punches, adapt to different work setups, and thrive in any environment.—
Sho Dewan,
Forbes,
26 Dec. 2024
-
Employers today want people who can roll with the punches, adapt to different work setups, and thrive in any environment.—
Sho Dewan,
Forbes,
26 Dec. 2024
Noun
-
Yet in a few respects, a bit of wobbly action in the indexes, surge in volatility and reversals in some of the more overheated assets were overdue and probably necessary to test the bull market against higher bond yields and a more-foggy policy horizon.—
Michael Santoli,
CNBC,
21 Dec. 2024
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But such policies could be subject to new executive orders or reversals.—
Tracy Wilkinson,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Green claps along, and is visibly impressed when Freeman hits that signature high note.—
Rebecca Angel Baer,
Southern Living,
3 Jan. 2025
-
Detroit Pistons team owner Tom Gores claps during the press conference on July 30, 2021 at the Pistons Performance Center in Detroit, Michigan.—
Michael Ozanian,
CNBC,
16 Oct. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Knocks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/knocks. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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