KNOTS Synonyms: 231 Similar and Opposite Words

knots 1 of 2

noun

Definition of knots next

plural of knot

as in clusters

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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as in swellings

a small rounded mass of swollen tissue felt a small knot on the back of his head

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as in links

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

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as in groupings

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

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as in problems

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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knots

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of knot

as in tangles

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 knots

Noun

And in terms of speed, Petra can dart to 16 knots at full tilt. —

Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 9 Apr. 2026 An abduction sequence ties the audience’s nerves in knots with cinematographer Isaac Bauman’s athletic tracking shot loping up the stairs to Margot’s apartment accompanied by Gavin Brivik’s pulse-hammering score. —

Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2026 His website describes how his early designs used ribbons, plastic wrap and fabric scraps fastened with knots and tape. —

Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 9 Apr. 2026 McLaren subsequently tied itself in knots trying to keep Norris’ fight with Oscar Piastri fair. —

Alex Kalinauckas, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2026 The wind will blow about 10 knots out of the west. —

Gary Robbins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Apr. 2026 Commercial airplanes cruise at speeds of up to 600 miles per hour (521 knots) at altitudes between 30,000 and 42,000 feet, levels which are specifically selected to reduce disturbances. —

Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 31 Mar. 2026 The works retain visible traces of labor—knots, frayed edges, layered threads—emphasizing the physical act of making. —

Olga Garcia-Mayoral, Miami Herald, 31 Mar. 2026 Northeast winds between 20 and 25 knots were expected to push seas up to 11 feet for all Hawaiian waters, the small craft adivsory said. —

Anna Skinner, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026

Verb

No matter how many knots a lawyer ties themselves in to get there, legality is not legitimacy. —

Jon Duffy, Mercury News, 29 Nov. 2025 Stories like these usually lurch from one contrivance and complication to the next, but Chad Powers knots itself into a genuinely thorny conflict by the finale. —

Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 29 Sep. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for knots

Noun

Hummingbirds need open space when hunting for insects, so plants should be in clusters with hover space in between, allowing the birds good visibility and clear space to dart after a meal on the wing.

— Ernie Cowan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Apr. 2026
First, look for clusters of light green eggs, often laid in a triangle shape like billiard balls, on the undersides of leaves, and crush them.

— Arricca Elin SanSone, Southern Living, 10 Apr. 2026