1
as in bumps
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in hits
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
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3
as in blames
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 blows
a hard strike with a part of the body or an instrument
gave the door a good knock
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2
as in misfortunes
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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3
as in setbacks
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 knocks
Sarah Min, CNBC, 24 Sep. 2025
In the video posted on the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Public Records Unit YouTube channel, Flores can be seen lifting his head up after an officer knocks on the driver's door window of his stationary vehicle.
—Alex Nitzberg, FOXNews.com, 17 Sep. 2025
However, this week’s knocks to Lukas Nmecha and Joel Piroe expedited his full debut.
—Beren Cross, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2025
His visit to her is the kind of single scene where an Oscar winner like Steenburgen knocks it out of the park.
—Pete Hammond, Deadline, 11 Sep. 2025
The fun-loving entertainment hub doesn't yet have a US product page, but is up for pre-order on Amazon for US$799 (though there is a promo coupon available at time of writing that knocks a few dollars off that ticket price).
—New Atlas, 10 Sep. 2025
Harrison stabs Prater with the needle and knocks the billionaire out.
—Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 5 Sep. 2025
When cosmic rays — including, in part, plain old protons from the Sun’s solar wind — strike the Moon, the recoil from those heavy elements knocks them into an excited state.
—Ethan Siegel, Big Think, 4 Sep. 2025
At one point, one of Bacon's throws accidentally knocks his phone camera off of its position.
—Tommy McArdle, PEOPLE, 4 Sep. 2025
John Hopewell, Variety, 16 Sep. 2025
Both saber makers offer models suitable for children, which are largely, if not entirely, made of plastic, so they are designed to withstand a few knocks and bumps without causing too much damage.
—Alexander Cox, Space.com, 1 Sep. 2025
Alvarez had three knocks, including an RBI double to open the scoring.
—Tim Britton, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2025
Verb
First, any major event such as a the emergence of DeepSeek that knocks the AI thesis could have a sizeable impact on the stock market.
—Noun
The bunker context had knocks-on for the narrative, Pina argued.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for knocks
Verb
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The Social Reckoning, which hits theaters over the Columbus Day weekend, follows The Social Network in getting released in October, as fall can be a prosperous time for adult dramas.—
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Want to feast on all the night market hits without the crowds?—
Verb
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The memo largely blames Democrats for any possible shutdown.—
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Abbie blames Leila for corrupting her, for using her as a life raft after the death of her sister, and Leila’s heart breaks, leading her to agree to participate in the Leap ceremony the next day.—
Noun
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The assailant stopped mid-speech and delivered two blows straight to Antao’s face.—
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Large companies can absorb the blows, but the dry cleaner, toy importer, or family-run retailer cannot.—
Noun
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The party’s misfortunes appear even greater in the context of its landslide victory in July last year, which delivered it a sizable majority in parliament.—
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The Mets aren't afraid to open their wallet for a chance to win, and with their pitching misfortunes lately, might go above and beyond to bring Valdez to the Big Apple.—
Noun
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But if those talks yielded any progress, or any setbacks, neither side is talking about it.—
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Shearer has spent nearly two years in and out of operating rooms, but her recovery has still faced multiple setbacks.—
Verb
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Washington Post slams Kamala Harris book tour, says Dems don't 'have time to waste' on former VP.—
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The charging bear slams against the car as the door closes, swiping at the space where the man's head was moments before.—
Verb
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Terri brought a puppet who slaps him on behalf of all the sexy-ass 60-plus women.—
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Belly, devastated by the betrayal, slaps Jeremiah and breaks up with him.—
Verb
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Former Vice President Kamala Harris criticizes President Biden's decision to run for re-election.—
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The judge’s new ruling at turns criticizes the Ivy League school for its response to antisemitism, but the judge noted the school was now taking steps to address it.—
Cite this Entry
“Knocks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/knocks. Accessed 1 Oct. 2025.
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