KNOCK-DOWN, DRAG-OUT Synonyms: 55 Similar and Opposite Words

knock-down, drag-out

adjective

ˈnäk-ˌdauṅ-ˈdrag-ˌau̇t

variants or knock-down-and-drag-out

as in violent

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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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-down, drag-out But its industry titans are also locked in a knock-down, drag-out fight for market share, with brutal price wars and competition in a crowded home market deflating profits and stymieing growth. — Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 2 May 2026 That means the knock-down, drag-out government shutdown battles that have become a Washington ritual are, in effect, a fight over a little more than a quarter of the federal ledger. — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 28 Apr. 2026 The meeting of a pair of programs on the rise was a knock-down, drag-out affair that appeared to have no end in sight. — Evan Webeck, Mercury News, 20 Sep. 2025 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 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for knock-down, drag-out

Adjective

France is currently in the throes of another political crisis, with violent student protests now stretching into their third week.

— Chloe Taylor, CNBC, 7 Oct. 2026
The protest was sparked by photos shared on the social media platform Snapchat showing violent messages threatening to rape and kill a female student.

— Sally Krutzig, Idaho Statesman, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of violent

Adjective

In the aftermath of City being found guilty of a raft of financial breaches another fierce welcome was expected.

— ABC News, ABC News, 11 Oct. 2026
Her fierce survival instincts see her turn the tables on them, transforming their hunt into her own cat-and-mouse game.

— Abbey White, HollywoodReporter, 10 Oct. 2026

Definition of fierce

Adjective

In the Atlantic, not a single hurricane has formed yet, a record for this late into hurricane season, due to ferocious wind shear brought on by El Niño.

— Sean Macaday, Sacbee.com, 5 Oct. 2026
When the Heat acquired Giannis Antetokounmpo in June, the natural instinct was to focus on the prodigious point production (57th all time), the volume rebounding (71st all time), the thunderous dunks and the ferocious forays to the basket.

— Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 4 Oct. 2026

Definition of ferocious

Adjective

In an early scene, Misty is jolted awake by the man’s furious widow, Celine (Amy Landecker), who has just discovered the apartment on her husband’s ledgers and is intent on kicking out his mistress.

— Justin Chang, New Yorker, 10 Oct. 2026
The fourth disc has the Attractions playing these songs live, after the album was out, in increasingly furious fashion.

— Chris Willman, Variety, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of furious

Adjective

While introducing his new film, Gilroy praised the festival’s lineup as a bright spot amid an increasingly turbulent Hollywood landscape.

— Antonio Ferme, Variety, 3 Oct. 2026
Given today's turbulent prices, don't read too much into MSRPs for products like graphics cards in 2026.

— Michael Justin Allen Sexton, PC Magazine, 3 Oct. 2026

Definition of turbulent

Adjective

The designation indicates heightened volcanic activity and the potential for an eruption, or an eruption underway with limited hazards to aviation.

— Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 9 Oct. 2026
Years of fountains With three active volcanic regions that engage in fountaining, there has been a steady flow of dramatic videos of red-hot molten rock spouting from the Earth.

— John Timmer, ArsTechnica, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of volcanic

Adjective

The outsized performance of movies such as Obsession and Backrooms sparked a rabid interest from studios in a generation of filmmakers who did not come up the traditional latter, but instead rose up making short-form content on digital platforms.

— Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 9 Oct. 2026
So far this year, there have been a record-breaking 70 rabid bats confirmed in Los Angeles County.

— Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of rabid

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knockdown

knock-down, drag-out

knockdowns

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“Knock-down, drag-out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/knock-down%2C%20drag-out. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of knock-down, drag-out

adjective

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