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Glite Dictionary
to knock it out of the box office

to knock it out of the box office

8.4
To sell a lot of movie tickets
  • idiom
  • Literature
translation icon : tener un gran éxito
  • That unexpected indie comedy really knocked it out of the box office last year.

Examples

  • Wow, that movie really knocked it out of the box office!

  • This film is sure to knock it out of the box office!

  • Everyone thought the new superhero film would knock it out of the box office this summer.

  • If this sequel delivers, it could knock it out of the box office again.

  • The animated film is expected to knock it out of the box office with its star-studded cast and great storyline.

  • Last summer, the blockbuster sequel managed to knock it out of the box office and became the highest-grossing film of the year.

  • Critics are saying that the upcoming thriller will knock it out of the box office due to its intense plot and outstanding performances.

Synonyms

to hit one out of the ballpark
vsto knock it out of the box office
  • Informal
1 7.4

Do much better than expected

is used specifically for exceptional success in movie ticket sales
to blow the doors off
vsto knock it out of the box office
  • Informal
1 7.2

To do much better than people expect

is reserved for exceptional success specifically in movie ticket sales
to knock out of the box
vsto knock it out of the box office
  • Informal
8.0

To impress many people by doing something very well

is specific to succeeding exceptionally in movie ticket sales

Antonyms

flop
44 4.3

A project or event that does not succeed

How Successful

to knock it out of the box office
  • Literature
8.4
to do well
520 1.2

Surface Forms

knock it out of the box office infinitive
knocked it out of the box office past
knocked it out of the box office past participle
knocking it out of the box office present participle
knocks it out of the box office third person singular

Morphology

knock + it + out + of + the + box + office

The phrase strings together transparent constituents like 'box office' (ticket sales) and literal verbs, but it relies on a transferred sports metaphor (modeled on 'knock it out of the park') to mean great commercial success. Because the meaning depends on recognizing this metaphorical extension and is not a straightforward composition of the parts, a B1 learner who only knows the words would only sometimes infer the intended sense.

Etymology

Knock it out of the box office shows a clear picture: a film hit so hard that tickets and money fly out of the box office, like something you knock out of a ballpark. One popular idea is that it mixes the sports image 'knock it out of the park' with 'box office' to make a strong image of big sales. That's why it means 'to do very well in movie ticket sales'.