variants
or knock-down-and-drag-out
as in fierce
marked by bursts of destructive force or intense activity
the football game was a knock-down, drag-out battle between bitter rivals
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Recent Examples of knock-down, drag-out
What follows is a knock-down, drag-out brawl reminiscent of Tommy Hearns and Marvin Hagler.
—
Lynette Rice, Deadline, 15 Dec. 2024
This was a knock-down, drag-out fight — the kind of match that would make for excellent watching when Marvel Snap tournaments are up and running.
—Ash Parrish, The Verge, 31 Jan. 2023
Last week’s knock-down, drag-out fight could just be the first of many this session as GOP lawmakers grapple with government spending, the debt ceiling and the situation at the border.
—Dallas News, 10 Jan. 2023
But both performers rode their SNL success to Hollywood superstardom, in turn validating the audience's appetite for inspired silliness and knock-down, drag-out belly-laughs.
—Dennis Perkins, EW.com, 13 Dec. 2022
As much as the streaming wars can feel like a knock-down, drag-out fight, Amazon can spend time on the ropes because streaming isn’t its core business.
—Angela Watercutter, Wired, 18 Mar. 2022
But rather than a knock-down, drag-out fight to the finish, this series is all about empowerment.
—Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 17 Feb. 2022
However, leaping in expecting an argument to become a knock-down, drag-out fight isn't the best way to go about your life.
—Tarot Astrologers, chicagotribune.com, 9 Feb. 2022
Its climactic scenes are the same as any classically satisfying sports movie’s: athletes (in this case, young Venus) making decisions about themselves, their worth, their futures, and bringing those notions to bear in a knock-down, drag-out match.
—K. Austin Collins, Rolling Stone, 19 Nov. 2021
Lynette Rice, Deadline, 15 Dec. 2024
This was a knock-down, drag-out fight — the kind of match that would make for excellent watching when Marvel Snap tournaments are up and running.
—Ash Parrish, The Verge, 31 Jan. 2023
Last week’s knock-down, drag-out fight could just be the first of many this session as GOP lawmakers grapple with government spending, the debt ceiling and the situation at the border.
—Dallas News, 10 Jan. 2023
But both performers rode their SNL success to Hollywood superstardom, in turn validating the audience's appetite for inspired silliness and knock-down, drag-out belly-laughs.
—Dennis Perkins, EW.com, 13 Dec. 2022
As much as the streaming wars can feel like a knock-down, drag-out fight, Amazon can spend time on the ropes because streaming isn’t its core business.
—Angela Watercutter, Wired, 18 Mar. 2022
But rather than a knock-down, drag-out fight to the finish, this series is all about empowerment.
—Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 17 Feb. 2022
However, leaping in expecting an argument to become a knock-down, drag-out fight isn't the best way to go about your life.
—Tarot Astrologers, chicagotribune.com, 9 Feb. 2022
Its climactic scenes are the same as any classically satisfying sports movie’s: athletes (in this case, young Venus) making decisions about themselves, their worth, their futures, and bringing those notions to bear in a knock-down, drag-out match.
—K. Austin Collins, Rolling Stone, 19 Nov. 2021
Recent Examples of Synonyms for knock-down, drag-out
Adjective
-
The Battle of Okinawa lasted 82 days, with fierce fighting on land and sea.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
11 Apr. 2025
-
The documentary follows the story of Ángel, a charismatic boy with fierce love for his Guarani roots and a vision for his Paraguayan hometown of Nanawa.—
Lise Pedersen,
Variety,
11 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Bravo’s family said the 28-year-old was ending a violent relationship.—
Darrell Smith,
Sacbee.com,
9 Apr. 2025
-
Adams said the pair had discussed how to combat violent migrant gangs and embedding more New York Police Department officers into federal task forces.—
Michael Dorgan,
FOXNews.com,
9 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Severe thunderstorms will roar to life by the late afternoon in the Mississippi Valley, become more ferocious and pound potentially more than 900 miles of the region – from Louisiana to Minnesota – through the overnight hours.—
Mary Gilbert,
CNN,
13 Mar. 2025
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Ferran’s ragged butterfly Blanche looks at first glance as if she might be blown to smithereens with one gust of Stanley’s ferocious lung power.—
Charles McNulty,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Not content, Gibbs-White storms towards the penalty area for the return pass, but ends up furious with his team-mate, whose shot is blocked.—
Thom Harris,
New York Times,
9 Apr. 2025
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The ex-girlfriend was hurt, and my roommate who is having the affair is furious with me.—
Philip Galanes,
New York Times,
9 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Analysis of the basaltic (volcanic) rock brought back from the SPA basin by Chang'e 6 yields a mantle source water content of between just 1 and 1.5 μg.g⁻¹ (micrograms — millionths of a gram — per gram of sample).—
Keith Cooper,
Space.com,
9 Apr. 2025
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Black Sands Beach United States California’s Black Sands Beach, near the tiny town of Shelter Cove, is a 3.5-mile shoreline blanketed in smooth, black pebbles, a result of volcanic rock eroded by waves.—
Mariette Williams,
AFAR Media,
7 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Softened by pride, Amber slinks away herself, albeit much more cutely than Gregory and accompanied by a vicious side-eye.—
Ile-Ife Okantah,
Vulture,
3 Apr. 2025
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Mikal, Tonya and Jason are vicious, screaming and hurling vile truths at one another.—
Murtada Elfadl,
Variety,
30 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Knock-down, drag-out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/knock-down%2C%20drag-out. Accessed 19 Apr. 2025.
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