1
as in winning
to receive as return for effort
she's knocking down a good salary, but she has to work very hard
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in taking down
to take apart
right after the holidays the stores start to knock down the window displays
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in downing
to strike (someone) so forcefully as to cause a fall
the overexcited dog knocked the toddler down
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in reducing
to make smaller in amount, volume, or extent
they'll have to knock down the price of those televisions if they expect to sell any
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of knocking down
The big man has been efficient all playoffs by bulldozing to the rim and finishing, by knocking down trailing 3s and hitting the offensive glass.
—
James L. Edwards Iii, New York Times, 26 Apr. 2026
As their mutual competitiveness grows shockingly ugly, Niall learns to turn Ruben’s Samsonian strength and fury against him, knocking down the pillars of Ruben’s own life.
—Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 24 Apr. 2026
In the past, even when Gobert has done his job to the best of anyone’s abilities, Jokic has often found answers in the form of knocking down outside jumpers or by flashing his feathery touch in the midrange.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 24 Apr. 2026
Moving it through the Senate, however, allowed Democrats to force Republicans to take a series of tough votes, knocking down affordability measures meant to bring down everyday costs for Americans.
—Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 22 Apr. 2026
Big man Neemias Queta even got in on the action for Boston, knocking down his first career 3 to go along with 10 rebounds.
—CBS News, 10 Apr. 2026
Acknowledgment can also feel like the bare minimum, but the fight for it grows increasingly urgent when the American President is knocking down public memorials of slavery like tin ducks in a carnival shooting game.
—Literary Hub, 8 Apr. 2026
Carter added nine points in the third quarter by knocking down his second 3-pointer of the night from the top of the key.
—Jason Beede, The Orlando Sentinel, 4 Apr. 2026
Since then, rising crude prices have been knocking down stocks, with Brent international crude up 50% over the past 19 trading sessions and West Texas Intermediate crude up 40%.
—Morgan Chittum, CNBC, 27 Mar. 2026
James L. Edwards Iii, New York Times, 26 Apr. 2026
As their mutual competitiveness grows shockingly ugly, Niall learns to turn Ruben’s Samsonian strength and fury against him, knocking down the pillars of Ruben’s own life.
—Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 24 Apr. 2026
In the past, even when Gobert has done his job to the best of anyone’s abilities, Jokic has often found answers in the form of knocking down outside jumpers or by flashing his feathery touch in the midrange.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 24 Apr. 2026
Moving it through the Senate, however, allowed Democrats to force Republicans to take a series of tough votes, knocking down affordability measures meant to bring down everyday costs for Americans.
—Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 22 Apr. 2026
Big man Neemias Queta even got in on the action for Boston, knocking down his first career 3 to go along with 10 rebounds.
—CBS News, 10 Apr. 2026
Acknowledgment can also feel like the bare minimum, but the fight for it grows increasingly urgent when the American President is knocking down public memorials of slavery like tin ducks in a carnival shooting game.
—Literary Hub, 8 Apr. 2026
Carter added nine points in the third quarter by knocking down his second 3-pointer of the night from the top of the key.
—Jason Beede, The Orlando Sentinel, 4 Apr. 2026
Since then, rising crude prices have been knocking down stocks, with Brent international crude up 50% over the past 19 trading sessions and West Texas Intermediate crude up 40%.
—Morgan Chittum, CNBC, 27 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for knocking down
Verb
-
Aspen Wooten, a talented tennis prodigy who moved from Memphis to Lake Nona with her family as a ninth grader, had accomplished just about everything available in her four-year high school career — including winning more than 100 matches.—
Buddy Collings,
The Orlando Sentinel,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Schindler also put down the winning kill in both games for the Knights (16-5, 1-1).—
Jeff Vorva,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
At that time, there was also another element that was taking down some other buildings.—
David Hookstead OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
20 Apr. 2026
-
Brandon Steiner is in charge of taking down and selling items from Highmark Stadium.—
Sam Brock,
NBC news,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
As the sun sets, the fruit bats swoop among the trees as couples and young families lounge on large poolside cabanas, downing languid cocktails and listening to live guitar strums before heading for a casual dinner.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Fast-moving storms pummeled parts of the Midwest with hail, strong wind and heavy rain Monday, flooding streets, stranding commuters and downing many trees, including one in western Michigan that landed on a man and killed him.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
MacRumors thinks this could end up reducing the thickness of the iPhone’s display stack while improving brightness and minimizing power use.—
Will McCurdy,
PC Magazine,
25 Apr. 2026
-
The Airhart ethos is focused on reducing the cognitive drain on the pilot.—
David Szondy
April 25,
New Atlas,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The Hawks carried that hot play into the playoffs, earning back-to-back one-point victories in Games 2 and 3 to take a 2-1 series lead.—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
1 May 2026
-
Prior to founding Serenade, Penn spent the past decade as co-founder and CEO of The Department of Motion Pictures and has produced or executive produced more than 20 films, earning credits at Sundance, Telluride, and Cannes.—
Brent Lang,
Variety,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
On a recent podcast, Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz said this is false, that the reorganization is about prudently stewarding taxpayer dollars, not dismantling the agency.—
Alex Wigglesworth,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Apr. 2026
-
If Florida is worried about China’s rise, dismantling educational and cultural exchanges is a foolish response.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Four of the seven matches went to Super Tiebreakers, and Cypress Bay had to dig out of a 2-0 hole after dropping their two singles matches.—
Gary Curreri,
Sun Sentinel,
2 May 2026
-
With that option off the table, the Jeju pilots would have had to consider dropping the gear manually.—
James Glanz,
New York Times,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
These changes were to be achieved by increasing the consumption of fruits and vegetables, decreasing the consumption of meat and eggs, and substituting nonfat milk for whole milk.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
30 Apr. 2026
-
In addition, federal funding is decreasing.—
Kristina Rex,
CBS News,
30 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Knocking down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/knocking%20down. Accessed 3 May. 2026.
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