1
as in to bump
to come into usually forceful contact with something
my knee knocked against the table leg when I tried to get up quickly
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to hit
to deliver a blow to (someone or something) usually in a strong vigorous manner
threatened to knock him upside the head if he didn't do as he was told
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in to blame
to express one's unfavorable opinion of the worth or quality of
hey, don't knock it until you've tried it
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in blow
a hard strike with a part of the body or an instrument
gave the door a good knock
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in misfortune
bad luck or an example of this
getting his college degree was a six year adventure not without its share of knocks along the way
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in setback
a change in status for the worse usually temporarily
the geneticist's reputation took a knock when several of his peers were unable to confirm his research findings
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of knock
Maayan Silver, NPR, 25 July 2025
He was then knocked to the ground by an officer who delivered six closed-fist punches to the hamstring of his right thigh, police reports show, according to the AP.
—Damenica Ellis, Charlotte Observer, 24 July 2025
Devon Henderson, Oc Register, 13 July 2025
Another two-out knock, this time off the bat of Alejandro Kirk, put the Blue Jays up 4-0, plating both Guerrero and Addison Barger, who singled on a 70-mph ground ball.
—Sacbee.com, 12 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for knock
Verb
In log rolling, two competitors face off on floating western red cedar logs, switching up treading speed and direction to try and knock their opponent off balance without touching each other.
—Maayan Silver, NPR, 25 July 2025
He was then knocked to the ground by an officer who delivered six closed-fist punches to the hamstring of his right thigh, police reports show, according to the AP.
—Damenica Ellis, Charlotte Observer, 24 July 2025
Noun
Fien lit up his senior season at Great Oak, hitting .358 with 34 knocks, 24 runs, five homers, and 16 RBIs.
—Devon Henderson, Oc Register, 13 July 2025
Another two-out knock, this time off the bat of Alejandro Kirk, put the Blue Jays up 4-0, plating both Guerrero and Addison Barger, who singled on a 70-mph ground ball.
—Sacbee.com, 12 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for knock
Recent Examples of Synonyms for knock
Verb
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The free exhibit is an immersive learning experience for the whole family, even featuring a DJ booth bumping Chicano oldies to enhance the vibe.—
MARIANA GARCIA,
Sacbee.com,
18 July 2025
-
The special election in Arizona’s 7th Congressional District, which will be held on September 23, is the next opportunity to bump Latina congressional representation to a new high of 20.—
Kelly Dittmar,
Forbes.com,
17 July 2025
Verb
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The floods that hit the Hill Country nearly three weeks ago killed dozens of young girls at Camp Mystic, many of whose families live in the Houston region.—
Bayliss Wagner,
Austin American Statesman,
25 July 2025
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More: Bourbon, other U.S. spirits could soon be hit with retaliatory EU tariffs.—
Olivia Evans,
The Courier-Journal,
25 July 2025
Verb
-
Speaking to reporters Wednesday, Trump doubled down on his past criticism and blamed Biden for Powell remaining in the role.—
Zachary Folk,
Forbes.com,
16 July 2025
-
While most of us could only dream of being so effortlessly chic, Parisians have it down pat—so who could blame us for wanting to borrow some of their go-to French fashion styles?—
Genevieve Cepeda,
Travel + Leisure,
15 July 2025
Noun
-
Smith shoved the gun in the guy’s gut, took the blow, then left.—
John J. Lennon,
Rolling Stone,
19 July 2025
-
The title bout bore out as a chess match, as the ISL school traded blows with one of the top MIAA teams from the South Shore.—
Brendan Connelly,
Boston Herald,
19 July 2025
Noun
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When a child is harmed, her parent, in scrambling to make sense of her family’s sorrow and misfortune, may settle on blaming the person closest at hand.—
Jessica Winter,
New Yorker,
7 July 2025
-
Some shook their legs nervously, others gave death glares to folks with the misfortune of sitting on creaky chairs.—
Omkar Khandekar,
NPR,
8 June 2025
Noun
-
In the late 2000s, Erdogan started secret talks with the PKK leadership in Oslo, in coordination with Ocalan, which faced sabotage and setbacks, but eventually led to a ceasefire by the PKK in 2013.—
Ragip Soylu,
Time,
18 July 2025
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Finding the liberal Joe Rogan became high-dollar Democrats’ white whale after losing the 2024 presidential election, but this week, the party suffered setbacks with two reliable media mouthpieces.—
W. James Antle III,
The Washington Examiner,
18 July 2025
Verb
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The most recent incident to prompt charges occurred Oct. 13, when Wolf reportedly banged pieces of metal and shouted homophobic insults at the occupants of a neighboring residence.—
Jimmy Lovrien,
Twin Cities,
16 July 2025
-
Josh yelled while banging the kitchen tools together.—
Christopher Rudolph,
People.com,
5 July 2025
Verb
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His vow to slap 30% tariffs on imports from the E.U. could be a negotiating tactic, but many in the wine industry are worried nevertheless.—
Russ Wiles,
AZCentral.com,
25 July 2025
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So, slap their observations together and astronomers believed that'd paint a beautiful picture of the night sky in its totality.—
Monisha Ravisetti,
Space.com,
24 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Knock.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/knock. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.
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