to knock out power
7
5.1
- phrasal verb
- /nɑk aʊt ˈpaʊər/
:
cortar la electricidad
- Similar storms rolled through my area a few years ago and knocked out power for a week or more.
- a storm knocked out power
- knocked out power to millions
- knocked out power for hundreds
Examples
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PSE&G said Sandy was the largest storm in company history, knocking out power to more than 1.2 million customers statewide.
Blog text (24) -
Wednesday's northeaster might not have brought the flooding that was predicted, but thanks to up to a foot of heavy, wet snow and stiff winds, it still knocked out power to at least 375,000 homes in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut, utility companies said, dealing a setback to the region's slow recovery from Hurricane Sandy.
Blog text (15) -
The surge in demand could knock out power to a home or even a neighborhood.
Blog text (32) -
This one killed 22 people and knocked out power to more than 2 million households.
Blog text (20) -
Twenty minutes ago, An energy surge knocked out power across the entire Pacific Northwest.
-
The storm knocked out power and damaged a number of gasoline storage and loading terminals around the New York area.
Blog text (7) -
By early afternoon, the storm had strengthened to 90 mph and had already knocked out power to tens of thousands of people.
Blog text (15) -
Asbury Park residents huddle to charge their cell phones after Hurricane Sandy knocked out power across the Jersey Shore.
Blog text (3) -
Tropical Storm Irene and the October snowstorm each knocked out power to more than 800,000 customers, far exceeding any storm in recent history.
Blog text (11) -
The strong winds from the hurricane knocked out power in several neighborhoods for hours.
Synonyms
∞
3.5
To break suddenly because of pressure or too much electricity
64
3.8
To break or remove something by force, often by hitting it
45
4.1
To stop working suddenly
To make equipment safe by turning off its power
Antonyms
- Specialized
To give electrical power again to a machine or system after it is turned off
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'to cause a loss of electricity supply' is directly derivable from combining 'knock' (to strike or cause force), 'out' (to render something non-functional or make it stop), and 'power' (electricity). The phrasal verb 'knock out' commonly means 'disable' or 'put out of action', so a B1 learner who knows the constituent words can readily infer this usage.
Etymology
Knock out power comes from the image of knock out in boxing, where a strong hit makes a person fall and stop working. So when something like a fallen tree or bad weather hits cables or equipment and 'knocks out' power, the electricity 'stops'.