knocks up

present tense third-person singular of knock up, British
as in wakes
to cause to stop sleeping I asked the clerk at the hotel to knock me up at 7:00 a.m.

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for knocks up
Verb
  • The speaker in Hirshfield’s poem wakes twice, inviting us to consider both a physical awakening and a spiritual one.
    — The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 15 Oct. 2026
  • A couple in crisis wakes to find their apartment sealed off by a mysterious, unbreakable substance.
    — K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 14 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • The picture unfolds against the backdrop of a family digital detox vacation in a house in a Swedish forest which takes a terrifying turn when a teenager discovers an old modem and unwittingly awakens a dormant, sadistic demon when it is fired up.
    — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 29 Oct. 2026
  • Sasha awakens to a note that says Morgan has hopped on an earlier flight home.
    — Judy Berman, Time, 22 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • While preparing for a trip, he is rendered unconscious using knockout gas and awakes to find himself inside a perfect recreation of his own home, but this one is located in a mysterious settlement known as The Village.
    — William Worrall, Space.com, 15 July 2026
  • Just at that moment, Jamie — our dream lover in every sense — awakes with a jolt.
    — Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 17 Apr. 2026
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.

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Cite this Entry

“Knocks up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/knocks%20up. Accessed 9 Nov. 2026.

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