🤕 To hit 🚪 To tap for attention 👎 To criticize 🔔 A tapping sound 💥 A hard hit 🗣️ A criticism 🚗 To make engine noise

to knock

937 1.0

To hit something by accident with a sudden movement

verb
/nɑk/

: golpear

You knocked over three tons of cement dust.
knock someone's head
knock someone unconscious
knock down walls

Take in more air, knock things off the walls.

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Examples

While playing in the yard, the boy accidentally knocked the soccer ball into the neighbor's garden.
can you knock it out of my hand?

The Staying Kind (2018)
Oh my God I just almost knocked this over.
If the ball goes even halfway too close, he'll knock it flying.

Bite School 2 (2025)
Every time he turns his head, he knocks everything on the table.

CreepCast
There's definitely someone over there going to try knocking on this wall.
The water softened the blow, but it knocked the breath out of him anyway.

Fiction book (1990)
On seeing Suzie, Sunny jumps up, knocking the can of marbles over the kitchen floor.

Fiction book (1990)
When she reached for the cookies, she knocked the glass of milk off the table.
As the wind picked up, the falling branches knocked against the windows of the house.

Synonyms

to hit

vsto knock

∞ 1.0

To strike someone or something with force

is similar but commonly occurs accidentally and suddenly

to strike

vsto knock

553 2.4

To hit someone or something with force

is similar but often happens by accident rather than intent

to punch

vsto knock

455 1.4

To hit someone or something quickly with a closed fist

is not limited to fist use and may be accidental

to whack

vsto knock

250 5.5

To hit someone or something hard so it makes a loud sound

is less extreme and often accidental rather than very violent

to smack

vsto knock

164 3.5

To hit someone or something with an open hand

is more general and can be accidental rather than hand specific

to bump

vsto knock

111 1.0

To hit something by accident and cause a jolt

is often a single sudden strike rather than a moving collision

slap

vsto knock

110 1.0

A quick sharp hit with the flat part of the hand

can happen accidentally rather than as a fast deliberate hand blow

to knock down

vsto knock

93 3.0

Use force to make someone or something fall to the ground

is the initial sudden contact, not specifically causing a fall

to knock over

vsto knock

68 2.6

Make something fall by hitting or bumping it

is the sudden contact itself rather than the falling result

to pop

vsto knock

Informal

46 3.4

To hit someone or something quickly and lightly

is often more forceful and can be accidental rather than light

to collide with

vsto knock

38 3.7

Hit something or someone while moving, causing a sudden strong crash

is often a stationary sudden contact rather than a moving crash

to bump into

vsto knock

18 2.1

To hit someone or something by accident while moving

is similar but may be a single sudden contact rather than collision

to bonk

vsto knock

Informal

5 7.6

To hit a person or thing lightly, often by accident

is similar but usually more forceful or sudden and accidental

to strike hard

vsto knock

3 3.7

Hit someone or something very hard

is often less forceful and more likely accidental

to knock against

vsto knock

3 2.7

Hit something by accident when you move and touch it

is similar but frequently implies a sharper or louder contact

to wallop

vsto knock

Informal

2 7.3

To hit something or someone very hard

is milder and more likely to be an accidental contact

to knock about

vsto knock

1 6.3

To hit something hard so it moves or gets damaged

is usually a single sudden contact rather than repeated hits

to give a whap

vsto knock

Informal

8.8

To hit something quickly with a short, sharp blow

is similar but often happens unintentionally rather than deliberately

to tonk

vsto knock

9.9

To hit something lightly and make a soft sound

is more forceful and often results from accidental impact

to tuk

vsto knock

9.9

To give a short, light knock on something

is stronger and more sudden, often causing noticeable impact

Idioms

to knock down a peg

Informal

3 7.6

Make someone feel less proud by criticizing or embarrassing them

to knock for a loop

Informal

1 8.7

To surprise someone very much and leave them speechless

to knock over with a feather

Informal

1 8.8

To be so surprised that you almost cannot react

to knock the stuffing out of

Informal

1 8.6

To make someone feel very tired, weak, or sad

to knock off one's perch

Informal

1 7.9

To defeat the person or team at the top and take their place

to knock into the middle of next week

Informal

9.9

To hit or shock someone so they feel dazed

to knock it out of the box office

Literature

8.4

To sell a lot of movie tickets

to knock down for the count

Informal

8.2

To be hit so hard that you fall and cannot get up

knock on wood

Informal

6.8

You say it to avoid bad luck after saying something good

to knock the living daylights out of

Offensive

9.9

To hit someone very hard or to shock someone very much

Phrasal Verbs

to knock it off

Informal

321 8.1

Tell someone to stop doing something annoying

to knock out

NSFW

210 4.3

To make someone unconscious by a hit, illness, or being very tired

to knock down

93 3.0

Use force to make someone or something fall to the ground

to knock on the door

73 1.0

To hit a door with your hand to get people inside to notice

to knock over

68 2.6

Make something fall by hitting or bumping it

to knock out

64 3.8

To break or remove something by force, often by hitting it

to knock down

57 3.2

Make a building or wall fall down suddenly

to knock out

46 3.4

To remove someone or something from a competition by defeating them

to knock up

NSFW

35 9.9

To make a woman pregnant

to knock off

NSFW

19 9.9

Kill someone as part of a crime

to knock out

Informal

18 4.7

To impress someone strongly so they feel admiration

to knock someone up

NSFW

15 9.9

To make someone pregnant, said informally

to knock off

12 4.3

Lower the price by a set amount

to knock cold

8 7.9

To make someone unconscious by hitting them

to knock off

Slang

7 8.4

Steal things, for example electronics or cars

to knock out power

7 5.1

Make the electricity go off by damaging power lines or equipment

to knock some sense into

Offensive

5 8.1

To make someone start thinking and behaving reasonably, often by scolding or force

to knock boots

Offensive

4 9.9

An informal way to say to have sex with someone

to knock off

Informal

4 7.4

Stop doing something, often when it is annoying

to knock off

Informal

4 6.1

Make something quickly with little effort

to knock against

3 2.7

Hit something by accident when you move and touch it

to knock down

Specialized

1 7.8

Reduce how much a gene works in cells

to knock flat

1 7.4

To surprise someone very much so they cannot react

to knock up

1 6.7

To make something quickly and simply from things you have, like a shelter or meal

to knock about

1 6.3

To hit something hard so it moves or gets damaged

to knock together

1 4.9

Make something quickly that will not last long

to knock about

8.2

To still be around in a place or situation

to knock at someone's door

Informal

5.4

To appear as a good chance for you

to knock out of the box

Informal

8.0

To impress many people by doing something very well

Compounds

knock on

Jargon

7 8.2

The illegal action of hitting the ball forward with the hand or arm while trying to catch it

knock-on effect

2 4.7

An indirect result of an event that causes other changes

knock knock

Informal

2 4.3

A short joke that starts with 'Knock knock!' and uses a call and answer

knock-kneed

1 8.4

With knees that bend inward and touch while the ankles stay apart

knock rummy

Jargon

1 8.7

A rummy game where a player ends a round if unmatched cards total less than ten points

knock-down-and-drag-out

NSFW

8.8

Very violent and intense, often about a fight or argument

knock-knee

8.2

Knees that turn inward and touch when the legs are straight

hunger knock

9.8

A strong feeling or sound in the stomach that tells you to eat soon

How Hard

to smash

311 2.1

to strike

553 2.4

to knock

937 1.0

tap

66 1.0

Surface Forms

knock infinitive

knocked past

knocked past participle

knocking present participle

knocks third person singular

Etymology

Knock comes from an old sound word that copies the noise of a sudden hit, like 'knock!'. So when you accidentally hit your head or elbow, the verb simply names that quick, forceful hit.