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
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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
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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
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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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of knock
Stephen J. Beard, USA Today, 12 July 2025
The switches require an operator to physically lift the switch handle up and over a detent – a catch – as they are deliberately designed so they can’t be knocked accidentally.
—Sophie Tanno, CNN Money, 12 July 2025
Mark Sparrow, Forbes.com, 29 June 2025
Early Thursday morning, Medina was rattled by several loud knocks on the front door.
—Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 15 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for knock
Verb
Six inches of rapidly moving water can knock you off your feet.
—Stephen J. Beard, USA Today, 12 July 2025
The switches require an operator to physically lift the switch handle up and over a detent – a catch – as they are deliberately designed so they can’t be knocked accidentally.
—Sophie Tanno, CNN Money, 12 July 2025
Noun
The rest of the speaker is covered in a layer of silicone material that feels soft to the touch and should be sufficiently durable to resist knocks.
—Mark Sparrow, Forbes.com, 29 June 2025
Early Thursday morning, Medina was rattled by several loud knocks on the front door.
—Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 15 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for knock
Recent Examples of Synonyms for knock
Verb
-
The child tax credit is bumped from $2,000 to $2,200, though millions of lower income families will still be unable to get the full credit.—
Andrew J. Campa
Follow,
Los Angeles Times,
6 July 2025
-
Bass bumped from speakers and a live band played to about a dozen people dancing.—
Elise Hammond,
CNN Money,
4 July 2025
Verb
-
The Padres took a 5-4 lead in the seventh inning when Fernando Tatis Jr. hit a one-out single, moved to third on a single by Luis Arraez and scored on a sacrifice fly by Machado.—
Kevin Acee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 July 2025
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While hitting 350 homers is a feat in itself, Judge reached the mark more quickly than former slugger Mark McGwire.—
Chantz Martin,
FOXNews.com,
13 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
-
The current president, Abdel Fatah al-Sisi, declared the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist group, blamed it for unrest in the country and imprisoned many of its leaders.—
Victoria Moorwood,
The Enquirer,
15 July 2025
Noun
-
Pang’s departure is a blow to Apple’s AI ambitions and comes amid internal scrutiny of its AI strategy, which has so far failed to match the capabilities fielded by rival tech companies, leaving Apple dependent on third-party AI models from OpenAI and Anthropic.—
Jeremy Kahn,
Fortune,
8 July 2025
-
The news was not only a blow to Lilly but also a surprise to millions using Zepbound on Caremark plans, who are now questioning how to move forward.—
Alysa Guffey,
IndyStar,
7 July 2025
Noun
-
But there is more than a vague element of misfortune in Cassidy’s story.—
Phil Hay,
New York Times,
11 July 2025
-
First responders, Tahoe residents, experienced captains and experts on weather and safety painted a picture of both extreme misfortune and lucky coincidences that day.—
Ethan Wolin
Updated July 4,
Sacbee.com,
4 July 2025
Noun
-
Chelsea has avoided major injury setbacks through its first five games.—
Dan Bernstein,
Sportico.com,
8 July 2025
-
Work on Barca’s stadium has already suffered several setbacks, with an original return date of November 2024 long since passed.—
Laia Cervelló Herrero,
New York Times,
8 July 2025
Verb
-
Flanked by Republican legislators and members of his Cabinet, Trump signed the multitrillion-dollar legislation at a desk on the White House driveway, then banged down a gavel gifted to him by House Speaker Mike Johnson that was used during the bill's final passage Thursday.—
arkansasonline.com,
arkansasonline.com,
5 July 2025
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Ensure everyone is secure inside before banging pots or making other loud noises to scare the bear away.—
Saman Shafiq,
The Courier-Journal,
2 July 2025
Verb
-
In recent days, Trump has slapped tariffs of at least 20% set to begin Aug. 1 on more than a dozen countries.—
Cybele Mayes-Osterman,
USA Today,
13 July 2025
-
For instance, Trump slapped steep tariffs on steel and aluminum and is targeting copper next — and those are critical inputs factories need to make goods.—
Matt Egan,
CNN Money,
11 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Knock.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/knock. Accessed 22 Jul. 2025.
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