knot 1 of 2

noun

ˈnät How to pronounce knot (audio)
Definition of knotnext
1
as in cluster
a number of things considered as a unit from the summit we could see knots of houses up and down the river valley

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2
as in swelling
a small rounded mass of swollen tissue felt a small knot on the back of his head

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3
as in link
a uniting or binding force or influence their business partnership is strengthened by the knot of personal friendship

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4
as in grouping
a usually small number of persons considered as a unit knots of people were quietly chatting around the meeting hall

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5
as in problem
something that requires thought and skill for resolution the situation involved so many legal knots that we decided to get a lawyer

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knot

2 of 2

verb

as in to tangle
to twist together into a usually confused mass the extension cords were hopelessly knotted together

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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 knot
Noun
Students were able to test out the robot, trying to complete such dexterous tasks as removing a Starburst candy from its wrapper and tying knots. — Cam'ron Hardy, Chicago Tribune, 14 Oct. 2026 Tie a simple knot at the corner of the trash bag to secure it. — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 10 Oct. 2026
Verb
Odom and Hawkins connected again from 14 yards out with 52 seconds left before the intermission to knot the game again at 21. — Darren Lauber, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Oct. 2026 In knitting, loops from the middle of an entangled yarn are slipped through one another so the yarn holds its position but isn’t knotted together. — Emma Gometz, Scientific American, 8 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for knot
Recent Examples of Synonyms for knot
  1. cluster
  2. swelling
  3. link
  4. grouping
  5. problem
  6. tangle
  7. batch
  8. lump
Noun
  • Now, after the top 25 are picked, conversations can be had about whether the committee wants to re-rank any cluster of teams next to each other.
    — Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 20 Oct. 2026
  • North Indiana Avenue Apartments A cluster of apartment buildings that face each other in the 100 block of North Indiana Avenue show the growth of multifamily housing along major corridors in northeast Kansas City in the earlier 1900s.
    — Chris Higgins, Kansas City Star, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of cluster
Noun
  • Another biopsy confirmed it; the swelling in her neck was where the cancer had spread.
    — Angela Haupt, Time, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Those who have blood clots typically first develop swelling, pain or redness along the affected area and an ultrasound is used to diagnose it and search for deeper blood clots, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of swelling
Noun
  • But all five nations also maintain significant commercial and diplomatic links with Russia and, to varying extents, China and Iran, a fact that Rubio acknowledged.
    — Reuters, NBC news, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Neuroscientists at the University of Oxford have recently found direct links between oxidative stress in the brain and the need to sleep.
    — Rowan Jacobsen, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of link
Noun
  • On foreign policy, Lula has worked to boost the political influence of countries in the Global South as a founding member of the BRICS group, a grouping of major emerging economies that includes Brazil, China, Russia, India and South Africa.
    — Catherine Osborn, NPR, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Martelly’s registration under a new political grouping, Debloke, will place the council under heavy scrutiny.
    — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of grouping
Noun
  • The judges cited admission policies that allowed private schools to reject students with behavioral problems, disabilities or poor academic performance.
    — Bilin Lin, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Still, many challenging open questions must be answered before the Many Worlds interpretation can be accepted as our best explanation for the measurement problem.
    — Philipp Strasberg, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of problem
Verb
  • The costly dispute instead stretched for almost a decade, becoming tangled up with the War of the Austrian Succession.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Turtlenecks also often tangle my hair into unforgiving knots because of their super-high necklines.
    — Caroline Hughes, Travel + Leisure, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of tangle
Noun
  • The software also converts Office documents and images into PDFs, with batch processing available for multiple files.
    — StackCommerce Team, PC Magazine, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Before striking out on adventure, head to Snake River Roasting Company for a small-batch specialty coffee and hearty breakfast burrito.
    — Lindsay Cohn, Vogue, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of batch
Noun
  • Scallop crudo, a wedge salad piled with jumbo lump crab and sharpened with wasabi dressing, and a lobster roll with saffron coleslaw sit comfortably alongside American classics like a double cheeseburger and fries.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Oct. 2026
  • While recovering from one of the surgeries, Casino felt a lump.
    — Hannah Kliger, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of lump

Phrases Containing knot

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knolls
knot
knothole
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Cite this Entry

“Knot.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/knot. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about knot

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