KNOCKS Synonyms: 332 Similar and Opposite Words

knocks 1 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of knock

as in bumps

to come into usually forceful contact with something my knee knocked against the table leg when I tried to get up quickly

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in hits

to deliver a blow to (someone or something) usually in a strong vigorous manner threatened to knock him upside the head if he didn't do as he was told

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in blames

to express one's unfavorable opinion of the worth or quality of hey, don't knock it until you've tried it

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

knocks

2 of 2

noun

plural of knock

as in blows

a hard strike with a part of the body or an instrument gave the door a good knock

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in misfortunes

bad luck or an example of this getting his college degree was a six year adventure not without its share of knocks along the way

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in setbacks

a change in status for the worse usually temporarily the geneticist's reputation took a knock when several of his peers were unable to confirm his research findings

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

status quos

Example Sentences

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 knocks

Verb

When a headline knocks a stock down, the useful question is whether anything inside the business moved. — Jon Markman, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2026 Brink is no stranger to the injury bug, as this is just the latest in a series of knocks the Sparks center has taken recently. — Austin Perry Outkick, FOXNews.com, 14 Aug. 2026 The denim collection from Levi’s always knocks it out of the park, and these baggy jeans are no exception. — Emily Weaver, PEOPLE, 9 Aug. 2026 For residents who didn’t respond to knocks on their doors, their bags were left for safekeeping with Mai Mei Su, the building’s residential manager. — Melody Xu, Los Angeles Times, 5 Aug. 2026 Max knocks on the door, a strange formality for a man about to burn the boat down to the waterline. — Jp Mangalindan, Time, 31 July 2026 The Petco cashier with the cat named Rebecca knocks on the hood of my car. — Literary Hub, 27 July 2026 One of the marks of Charles is his ability to keep getting up when the world knocks him down. — Rick Porter, HollywoodReporter, 25 July 2026 Those knocks, a masterful performance from Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and a late implosion set the Yankees up for an 8-2 loss in the first game of a split doubleheader at Yankee Stadium. — Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 19 July 2026

Noun

Josh Bell continued a torrid August with three hits, Alan Roden bounced back from a tough game with three hits of his own, and Royce Lewis and Brooks Lee each finished with two knocks. — Dan Hayes, New York Times, 13 Aug. 2026 But over the course of a 44-game regular season, a few knocks are unavoidable. — Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 13 Aug. 2026 Chicago got two more in the third on four hits and had three knocks that yielded a run in the fourth. — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 9 Aug. 2026 This buffering is especially useful when the unit is wall-mounted and exposed to occasional knocks or vibration. — New Atlas, 3 Aug. 2026 One runner was pierced by a horn in the face, while 12 more people needed medical treatment for an assortment of knocks, according to the University of Navarra Hospital. — ABC News, 11 July 2026 One runner was pierced by a horn in the face, and 12 other people needed medical treatment for an assortment of knocks, according to the University of Navarra Hospital. — Los Angeles Times, 11 July 2026 Bouts of illness and small knocks to players such as rookie Gabriela Jaquez have forced the Sky to sign emergency replacement players and lean heavily on development players such as Aicha Coulibaly, who already has used up half of her eligible games for the Sky. — Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 2 June 2026 But a leg injury in preseason and other knocks have kept him out of the lineup. — Michelle Kaufman may 12, Miami Herald, 12 May 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for knocks

Verb

Did join Kylian Mbappe and Ferenc Puskas as one of only three players to score a European Cup knockout-phase brace against Barcelona at Camp Nou, which bumps him up the list a bit.

— Tim Spiers, New York Times, 26 May 2026
The department bumps the call to a higher-priority response (Priority 1) due to the potential for violence.

— Teri Figueroa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 May 2026

Definition of bumps

Noun

The impact of yesterday’s sharp drop in South Korean equities transmitted further into US markets overnight, spreading selling sentiment and dealing heavy blows to US semiconductor and memory stocks.

— , CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
Guevera also reportedly came to blows with Eddie Kingston in 2022, leading to Kingston’s suspension.

— Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of blows

Noun

Poliński said Zosia would likely have been blamed for misfortunes such as disease and famine that often plagued the region in the 17th century, which people sometimes attributed to supernatural activity by the dead.

— Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026
But the fire this time was started by a son, which led to raging misfortunes that consumed his three brothers one by one, leaving only ashen memories for his surviving sister and aged parents to sift through.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Aug. 2026

Definition of misfortunes

Noun

Trump has placed tariffs at the center of his agenda throughout his second term in the White House, though his use of the economic tool has faced some major legal setbacks and stoked heated pushback from other countries.

— Kevin Breuninger, CNBC, 25 Aug. 2026
Instead, the program faced regulatory hurdles, technical setbacks, and noise complaints from residents.

— Tatiana Sataua, Fortune, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of setbacks

Verb

In one of the most memorable panels in superherocomic history, Bane, having beaten Batman down in his own Batcave, lifts the hero over his head and slams him down over his knee, breaking his back.

— Daniel Dockery, Vulture, 24 Aug. 2026
Robin Williams' daughter slams AI videos of her father, urges fans to 'stop doing this'Need a news break?

— Sameen Chaudhry, USA Today, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of slams

Verb

Soto, looking irritated, reaches out and slaps him upside the head.

— Sylvia Varnham O’Regan, Vanity Fair, 25 Aug. 2026
Helmut Haller, West Germany vs England, 1966 Ray Wilson misjudges his headed clearance, Haller gathers it on the edge of the box and, just before Bobby Moore can close him down, slaps a right-footed shot into the far corner.

— Adam Hurrey, New York Times, 17 July 2026