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to knock

to knock

825 1.0
To hit a surface to make a short sound to get attention
  • verb
  • /nɑk/
translation icon : tocar la puerta
  • Aunt Josie lived alone and was awakened one night by a knocking at her door.
  • knock on a door
  • come knocking
  • start knocking

And I would have to go knock and go see these people early on.

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Examples

  • Those guys felt that when Andy knocked on their door.

  • He always came back knocking at our door and someone had to pay.

  • And I would have to go knock and go see these people early on.

  • Hey, knock it off, will you?

  • And one night he knocked on my door outdoor.

  • "I probably should have knocked on more doors and had more conversations with people," he says.

    Academic text (2017)
  • But today you don't have to knock on their door, you can just slip in.

  • It's so simple to just look at who's knocking at your door as a sign.

  • I stepped onto its creaking porch and knocked on a crude screen door.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • I heard a knock on the front door, so I went to see who it was.

Synonyms

to bang
vsto knock
318 1.0

To hit or close something suddenly and loudly

is a smaller controlled strike often for polite attention
to tap
vsto knock
174 1.0

To touch or hit something lightly to get attention

is usually a sharper sound aimed at gaining attention
73 1.0

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

is the general act of striking surfaces often to gain attention
to rap
vsto knock
8 3.7

To hit something quickly to make a short sharp sound

is a broader strike that may not be as quick or sharp
to knock about
vsto knock
  • UK
1 6.3

To hit something hard so it moves or gets damaged

is usually a single sharp strike aimed at getting attention not repeated force
to tuk
vsto knock
9.9

To give a short, light knock on something

is a firmer strike often meant to draw attention
to tonk
vsto knock
9.9

To hit something lightly and make a soft sound

is a firmer strike often used to attract attention
to give a whap
vsto knock
  • Informal
8.8

To hit something quickly with a short, sharp blow

is a less forceful strike usually used to get attention

Idioms

3 7.6

Make someone feel less proud by criticizing or embarrassing them

1 8.7

To surprise someone very much and leave them speechless

To be so surprised that you almost cannot react

To make someone feel very tired, weak, or sad

1 7.9

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

To hit or shock someone so they feel dazed

To sell a lot of movie tickets

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 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

210 4.3

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

93 3.0

Use force to make someone or something fall to the ground

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

68 2.6

Make something fall by hitting or bumping it

64 3.8

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

57 3.2

Make a building or wall fall down suddenly

46 3.4

To remove someone or something from a competition by defeating them

35 9.9

To make a woman pregnant

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

15 9.9

To make someone pregnant, said informally

12 4.3

Lower the price by a set amount

To make someone unconscious by hitting them

to knock off
  • Slang
7 8.4

Steal things, for example electronics or cars

Make the electricity go off by damaging power lines or equipment

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

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 surprise someone very much so they cannot react

1 6.7

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

1 6.3

To hit something hard so it moves or gets damaged

Make something quickly that will not last long

To still be around in a place or situation

To appear as a good chance for you

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

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

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

Very violent and intense, often about a fight or argument

Knees that turn inward and touch when the legs are straight

9.8

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

How Hard

hammer
17 1.0
to bang
318 1.0
to knock
825 1.0
to rap
8 3.7
tap
66 1.0

Surface Forms

knock infinitive
knocked past
knocked past participle
knocking present participle
knocks third person singular

Etymology

Knock (to strike a surface for attention) comes from the same imitation of sound — think 'knock, knock' at a door. Because the word names that sharp sound, it naturally means to hit something to get someone's attention.