KNOCK-DOWN, DRAG-OUT Synonyms: 55 Similar and Opposite Words

knock-down, drag-out

adjective

ˈnäk-ˌdauṅ-ˈdrag-ˌau̇t

variants or knock-down-and-drag-out

as in violent

marked by bursts of destructive force or intense activity the football game was a knock-down, drag-out battle between bitter rivals

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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 knock-down, drag-out The meeting of a pair of programs on the rise was a knock-down, drag-out affair that appeared to have no end in sight. — Evan Webeck, Mercury News, 20 Sep. 2025 What follows is a knock-down, drag-out brawl reminiscent of Tommy Hearns and Marvin Hagler. — Lynette Rice, Deadline, 15 Dec. 2024 This was a knock-down, drag-out fight — the kind of match that would make for excellent watching when Marvel Snap tournaments are up and running. — Ash Parrish, The Verge, 31 Jan. 2023 Last week’s knock-down, drag-out fight could just be the first of many this session as GOP lawmakers grapple with government spending, the debt ceiling and the situation at the border. — Dallas News, 10 Jan. 2023 See All Example Sentences for knock-down, drag-out

Recent Examples of Synonyms for knock-down, drag-out

Adjective

The protests quickly turned violent as demonstrators lobbed Molotov cocktails at the Education Ministry and clashed with police.

— Chris Massaro, FOXNews.com, 28 Oct. 2026
The Lilliputians are as small-minded as their size and conduct querulous, violent debates about which end of an egg to crack (so obviously similar to the theological complexities of Swift’s own day).

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Oct. 2026

Definition of violent

Adjective

Projects that communities had originally welcomed were suddenly met with fierce opposition, and companies had to improve.

— Neil Chatterjee, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026
What is to come afterwards is when their world is on fire as the fierce Battle Of Okinawa Island takes them , and us, back to sad reality.

— Pete Hammond, Deadline, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of fierce

Adjective

One of the most celebrated objects from the India Museum is a mechanical wooden sculpture of a ferocious tiger gnawing at a British soldier’s throat.

— Rebecca Mead, New Yorker, 26 Oct. 2026
Wilson rocked the stanchion with a ferocious dunk in transition in the fourth quarter, only to have his next attempt at a full-court sprint smacked away by Jamal Shead, leading to a Leonard 3-pointer on the other end.

— Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of ferocious

Adjective

Kansas has emerged as an unlikely battleground in a turbulent midterm election year for Republicans, who are striving to hold onto slim majorities in both chambers of Congress.

— Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 27 Oct. 2026
The production decision also follows a turbulent development history.

— Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of turbulent

Adjective

The Pistons have raced out to a hot start, while the Knicks are still searching for answers after a rough opening week.

— David Troy OutKick, FOXNews.com, 27 Oct. 2026
Molcajetes constructed of lava rock with pits creating a rough and not smooth nor easily cleanable surface were in the facility.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of rough

Adjective

Then, during our planet’s infancy, volcanic upheaval and deep-earth alchemy created more than a thousand new minerals.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2026
Highlights include the verdant jungle at Cap Cana, the lush volcanic slopes above Saint-Pierre in Martinique, and the coral gardens off Kralendijk in Bonaire.

— Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of volcanic

Adjective

Instead, Cartwright returns to his deceased grandfather’s home thrilled to see that Baker has successfully evaded both the Russian assassins and MI5’s own rabid dogs.

— K.J. Yossman, Variety, 23 Oct. 2026
Many rabid fans from other cities would be glad to trade places with them anytime.

— Ticked Off, The Orlando Sentinel, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of rabid

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knockdown

knock-down, drag-out

knockdowns

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“Knock-down, drag-out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/knock-down%2C%20drag-out. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of knock-down, drag-out

adjective

Example Sentences

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