KNOCKS Synonyms: 332 Similar and Opposite Words

knocks 1 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of knock

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

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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

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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

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knocks

2 of 2

noun

plural of knock

as in blows

a hard strike with a part of the body or an instrument gave the door a good knock

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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

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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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

status quos

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 knocks

Verb

After the tempting offer, Pryce knocks on Clark’s door to see the ambitious former player wearing under-eye masks, agreeing to his proposition. — Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 8 Oct. 2026 The flash lasts only a fraction of a picosecond, and the beam knocks individual atoms out of place. — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 7 Oct. 2026 Then, the attacker delivers one more punch that knocks the boy to the floor. — Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2026 What knocks him for a deadly loop is a powdered, pampered piece of work called Mildred (Elizabeth Teeter). — Sara Holdren, Vulture, 5 Oct. 2026 Few fully understand this technology, and every incident knocks investors’ confidence further. — Yerbol Orynbayev, Fortune, 3 Oct. 2026 This discount knocks true 4K resolution straight down to standard 1080p price levels, and gives remote workers, coders, graphic designers, and students a rare window to grab immaculate text clarity and color depth. — Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 2 Oct. 2026 After making the deal with CBS, a local ranger knocks on Kaczynski’s cabin door and claims that local copper miners are interested in inspecting the property lines around the land. — Jane Lacroix, PEOPLE, 26 Sep. 2026 The Eagles defender Brandon Graham fends off a Patriots offensive lineman, reaches his left hand out, and knocks the ball loose from Brady’s grip. — Jennifer Wilson, New Yorker, 21 Sep. 2026

Noun

The Rays have Yankee-killer Drew Rasmussen, a somewhat under-appreciated pitching staff, strong defense and a bunch of hitters who could get key knocks or put pressure on the Yankees’ defense. — The Athletic Mlb Staff, New York Times, 3 Oct. 2026 Evidence of Dave Roberts’ growth One of the knocks on Dave Roberts has always been his poor postseason managing. — Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 18 Sep. 2026 But over the course of a 44-game regular season, a few knocks are unavoidable. — Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 13 Aug. 2026 Chicago got two more in the third on four hits and had three knocks that yielded a run in the fourth. — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 9 Aug. 2026 This buffering is especially useful when the unit is wall-mounted and exposed to occasional knocks or vibration. — New Atlas, 3 Aug. 2026 One runner was pierced by a horn in the face, while 12 more people needed medical treatment for an assortment of knocks, according to the University of Navarra Hospital. — ABC News, 11 July 2026 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 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

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

Definition of bumps

Verb

Within days, her complaint – which names fraternity members and others, and blames Cornell and its police department for failure to act on her original report – became a focus of intense public attention.

— Scott Baldauf, Christian Science Monitor, 9 Oct. 2026
But the British Beer & Pub Association blames tax and overheads, and across the EU, the share of beer drunk in pubs, bars, and restaurants has stopped shrinking after years of decline.

— Sam Birchall, Fortune, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of blames

Noun

Ditka and Ryan had an often adversarial relationship, with the two nearly coming to blows during halftime of the team's only 1985 season loss, to the Miami Dolphins.

— ABC News, ABC News, 9 Oct. 2026
Even with a human controlling the machine remotely, LaPenna was still trading blows with a heavy metal robot capable of putting real force behind its movements.

— Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of blows

Noun

Poliński said Zosia would likely have been blamed for misfortunes such as disease and famine that often plagued the region in the 17th century, which people sometimes attributed to supernatural activity by the dead.

— Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026
But the fire this time was started by a son, which led to raging misfortunes that consumed his three brothers one by one, leaving only ashen memories for his surviving sister and aged parents to sift through.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Aug. 2026

Definition of misfortunes

Noun

As the cystic fibrosis community gathers this week in Atlanta for its largest annual gathering, Kramer-Golinkoff is hoping those patients will be a big part of the conversation, particularly after recent scientific setbacks.

— Gerry Smith, CNBC, 9 Oct. 2026
Even major battlefield setbacks may not push the group towards compromise if its leadership believes any concessions should be part of a broader regional bargain.

— Melissa Hancock, Fortune, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of setbacks

Verb

There are currently more than 85,000 customers without power across the Northeast, including New York City and Connecticut, as an intensifying early-season nor’easter slams the region with strong wind, soaking rain and coastal flooding.

— Rebekah Riess, CNN Money, 26 Sep. 2026
Not thunder, not cobwebs, not a door that slams itself for union reasons.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 24 Sep. 2026