knocks (about)

verb

present tense third-person singular of knock (about)
as in wanders
to move about from place to place aimlessly we knocked about from town to town, looking for work

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for knocks (about)
  1. wanders
  2. roams
  3. drifts
  4. strolls
  5. cruises
Verb
  • This one stars Cox himself as a mysterious and formidable old man in an undertaker’s suit and parson’s hat who wanders into an Arizona border town in 1890 to gather the names of dead Mexican laborers.
    — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Sometimes, my mind wanders to a question that feels inconceivable.
    — Ayana Lage, Vogue, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of wanders
Verb
  • North Carolina will be under the microscope as long as Bill Belichick roams the sidelines in Chapel Hill.
    — Antonio Morales, New York Times, 5 June 2026
  • Today, the herd roams the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge and is managed in partnership with the local fire company, which hosts the annual pony swim—a beloved local tradition.
    — Travel + Leisure Editors, Travel + Leisure, 19 May 2026
Definition of roams
Verb
  • The music is a mixture of autobiography sung in a way that drifts between opera, cabaret and Edith Piaff.
    — John Bleasdale, Variety, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Then Kris drifts outside, her face clouding, followed by Billy.
    — JP Mangalindan, Time, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of drifts
Verb
  • Reacher is a behemoth who strolls into towns in the South and the American heartland.
    — Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Except, that is, when a breezy new prospect strolls in and reminds us why the genre has been a TV mainstay decade after decade.
    — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 29 July 2026
Definition of strolls
Verb
  • Traveling such vast distances between our solar system's most remote objects means New Horizons often cruises for months at a time with little to do other than passively collect data.
    — Brett Tingley, Space.com, 8 July 2026
  • The third main character, a livestreamer named Jake Deal, cruises the night looking for chaos while narrating to his audience.
    — Carolyn Kellogg, The Atlantic, 8 July 2026
Definition of cruises
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.

Browse Nearby Words

knocks
knocks (about)
knocks back
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Cite this Entry

“Knocks (about).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/knocks%20%28about%29. Accessed 18 Aug. 2026.

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