as in wears
to use up all the physical energy of
the entire staff knocked itself out getting the project finished on time
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Recent Examples of knocks out
Members of the Orange County Amateur Radio Club spent the weekend camped out on a Huntington Beach middle school soccer field, practicing various ways the ham radio operators will help in an earthquake, fire or other disaster that knocks out communications.
—
Heather McRea, Oc Register, 26 Jan. 2026
But will any of that matter come January if Kansas City once again knocks out Buffalo?
—Jacob Camenker, USA Today, 2 Nov. 2025
As Stahl said, anytime there’s a reckless driver, the emergency pipeline collapses and knocks out water flow to the entire area.
—Karen Billing, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 Aug. 2025
Heather McRea, Oc Register, 26 Jan. 2026
But will any of that matter come January if Kansas City once again knocks out Buffalo?
—Jacob Camenker, USA Today, 2 Nov. 2025
As Stahl said, anytime there’s a reckless driver, the emergency pipeline collapses and knocks out water flow to the entire area.
—Karen Billing, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for knocks out
Verb
-
This classic Victorian wears its age beautifully, with stone details, shingles, and deep eaves that hint at its past.—
Miriam Schwartz,
Boston Herald,
23 Jan. 2026
-
Engaged to be married to the rich but dull George (played by John Lund), Lord wears a scene-stealing ring throughout the film, its central stone elegantly flanked by a pair of tapered baguettes.—
Rachel Garrahan,
Vogue,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Improper conditions can lead to damping off disease, a fungal disease that quickly kills seedlings.—
Kerry Michaels,
The Spruce,
21 Jan. 2026
-
Listeria infects approximately 1,250 people in the United States annually, by CDC estimate, and kills about 172.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
19 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Additional motorsport-style heave dampers act to suppress squat and dive, giving the bespoke Pirelli Trofeo R tires a fighting chance of relaying 1,257 ft lbs of torque to the road.—
Tim Pitt,
Robb Report,
6 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
The denial exhausts the city’s legal options for the 2022 ballot measure, known as Measure C.—
Jennifer Van Grove,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
5 Jan. 2026
-
Ella has shades of Holly Hunter's intense, workaholic producer Jane from Brooks' 1987 masterpiece Broadcast News, the smartest person in any room who both exhausts and enchants everyone around her.—
Esther Zuckerman,
Time,
12 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
When the candle burns out, upcycle the elegant blue jar into a seashell or trinket holder to keep the beachy vibes going.—
Mariana Best,
Better Homes & Gardens,
28 Oct. 2025
Verb
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In high-traffic areas like kitchens and bathrooms, cheap hardware wears out fast.—
Lauren Bengtson,
Better Homes & Gardens,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
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This structural and compounding loss heightened by sidelining Black women’s leaders drains institutions of current productivity and future leadership pipelines.—
Jallicia Jolly,
Forbes.com,
24 Jan. 2026
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Fill the pot with loose, slightly acidic soil that drains quickly.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
22 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Knocks out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/knocks%20out. Accessed 28 Jan. 2026.
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