knock over

verb

Definition of knock overnext
1
as in to rob
to remove valuables from (a place) unlawfully he knocked over six convenience stores before getting caught

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in to drop
to strike (someone) so forcefully as to cause a fall knocked me over trying to get out the door

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 knock over Thibodeaux then came over knocked over Jackson remained on the field but was replaced by Caedan Wallace on the next set of team drills. — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 20 Aug. 2026 Video from the scene showed one car flipped on its side with debris scattered across the sidewalk and a trash can knocked over. — Alexa Herrera, CBS News, 20 Aug. 2026 It is easily knocked over but practical for indoor use when a flat ground base is too big and a steel pike would damage the floors. — Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 20 Aug. 2026 The Bedford County Fire Marshal's Office determined the fire was accidental and said Nanner escaped her enclosure and knocked over a heat fixture, sparking the blaze. — Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 19 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for knock over
Recent Examples of Synonyms for knock over
  1. rob
  2. drop
  3. down
  4. knock down
  5. fell
  6. hit
  7. floor
  8. knock out
Verb
  • Online videos of past GTA versions show players gunning down police, robbing a liquor store and getting lap dances from topless strippers.
    — Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Around the same time, legacy media began its slow decline, robbing magazines and TV shows of much of their PR powers.
    — Brian Raftery, Vanity Fair, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of rob
Verb
  • By the time the next spring rolled around, support for all-year DST dropped from 79 percent to 42 percent.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Macklemore later claimed that he was dropped from the trek after Kraft mounted a pressure campaign against Sheeran to nix the rapper.
    — Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of drop
Verb
  • The Russian Defense Ministry said Friday that its air defenses overnight downed 646 Ukrainian drones over Russian regions, occupied Crimea, the Sea of Azov and the Black Sea.
    — HANNA ARHIROVA, Arkansas Online, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Punter Alec Clark has downed three of his five punts inside the 20 and hasn’t punted more than twice in a game this year.
    — PJ Green September 29, Kansas City Star, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of down
Verb
  • The second time was with 13 seconds left in the third quarter when Wisdom Sims knocked down a fourth-down pass from the Purdue 17.
    — Steve Stein, Chicago Tribune, 4 Oct. 2026
  • Thybulle will be asked to knock down corner threes and fill the lane on the fast break.
    — Broderick Turner, Los Angeles Times, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of knock down
Verb
  • Yet trees that took a millennium to grow can be felled in under an hour.
    — Annika Hammerschlag, Los Angeles Times, 16 Sep. 2026
  • Vines are pulled away from fences, and sometimes trees are even felled.
    — The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Sep. 2026
Definition of fell
Verb
  • Residential real estate prices may hit a bottom in the third quarter of 2028, the report said.
    — Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 8 Oct. 2026
  • For Fleabag and The Tourist producer Two Brothers, the show is the first hitting the international market since its parent, All3Media, was acquired by Banijay.
    — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of hit
Verb
  • To manage mixed-flooring environments seamlessly, the robot incorporates Narwal’s CarpetFocus™ technology alongside the DualFlow anti-tangle system.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Flynn worked for his father-in-law’s flooring and furnishing business and made about $200,000 a year, Ashley’s sister testified.
    — Eric Levenson, CNN Money, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of floor
Verb
  • On a dry summer day, workers ran for their lives as a deluge of water knocked out pumps and electrical equipment.
    — Sandra McDonald, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026
  • The Rise Of Proxy Cyber Warfare Nations are weaponizing cyberattacks to knock out critical infrastructure, from power grids to communications networks.
    — Steve Durbin, Forbes.com, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of knock out

Browse Nearby Words

knockouts
knock over
knocks
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Knock over.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/knock%20over. Accessed 10 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of Luddite

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
a cup of tea and a golf ball on tee side by side
Quiz: Sounds Like... Choose the word that sounds like it fits the clue...
See All