KNOCKING Synonyms: 213 Similar and Opposite Words

knocking

verb

present participle of knock

as in bumping

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in hitting

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

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as in blaming

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

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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 knocking Video shared by NorCal Resist showed Moreida standing in the street recording an approaching SUV when its front-right corner struck him, knocking him to the pavement. — Daniel Hunt, Sacbee.com, 21 Oct. 2026 Coral Springs Police said 44-year-old Matthew John Ryan rammed a shopping cart with a dog inside into the menorah at Chabad of Coral Springs on North University Drive, knocking it completely over. — Bri Buckley, CBS News, 19 Oct. 2026 Other clips showed young masked men knocking insistently on a driver’s side window and asking for IDs, while other masked men carrying sticks advanced in the distance. — Reuters, NBC news, 18 Oct. 2026 The other student strikes one more blow from behind, knocking Xavier to the ground. — Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026 The murder prompted an extensive investigation, with police interviewing more than 1,300 people and knocking on hundreds of doors. — Brittany Miller, FOXNews.com, 13 Oct. 2026 For the hearing impaired, select rooms feature visual fire alarms plus signals for telephone ringing and door knocking. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026 Political handicapping has a way of knocking people down a couple of notches. — Nathan Gonzales Cq-Roll Call, Arkansas Online, 6 Oct. 2026 Luong says knocking the walls down between Ampersand and Jimmy John’s for this new expansion will primarily make room for a full kitchen, but also provide some extra space for seating. — Ella Gonzales, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 Oct. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for knocking

Verb

The Goyard Saint Louis entered the top 10 ranking at number seven, bumping the Celine Ava off the list entirely, according to the report.

— Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 14 Oct. 2026
There can be two women who are strong and dynamic, who are, at points, up against each other or bumping heads, but have the same mission and goal.

— Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of bumping

Verb

Antetokounmpo was everywhere, throwing a down a poster dunk over Mavericks center Daniel Gafford, hitting pull-up threes and assisting on a bunch of the Heat’s three-pointers.

— Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 27 Oct. 2026
Each draw is tied to Anthropic hitting certain compute capacity milestones.

— Ashley Capoot,Jordan Novet,Annie Palmer,Lora Kolodny,Kai Nicol-Schwarz,Caleigh Keating, CNBC, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of hitting

Verb

The Wall Street Journal reported that Musk ordered the shift, a claim that was bolstered by statements from Marco Rubio and Pete Hegseth blaming Musk’s SpaceX for any change.

— Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 22 Oct. 2026
Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner earlier in October said that Lewis was acquitted in a previous murder case, blaming police misconduct for the outcome.

— Adam Sabes, FOXNews.com, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of blaming

Verb

The familyâs legal team filed complaints targeting Iranian officials who bankrolled Hamas, slamming the ICC for double standards and demanding arrest warrants for the regime bosses backing the atrocity.

— Staff, FOXNews.com, 22 Oct. 2026
Alex Alvarado’s political action committee is behind the texts slamming Rodriguez in an apparent effort to help Republican Attorney General James Uthmeier stay in office.

— Annie Martin, The Orlando Sentinel, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of slamming

Verb

But Varma and Shivam Dube (27) upped the ante in the final three overs by smacking 57 runs against Sufyan Moqim, Ayub and Ahmed Daniyal.

— ABC News, ABC News, 3 Oct. 2026
Carrington was ejected from the game in the first half after smacking Cunningham across the face during Cunningham's layup attempt.

— Jackson Thompson OutKick, FOXNews.com, 9 Aug. 2026

Definition of smacking

Verb

Pentecostal parents Ruth and Marius were accused of domestic violence, with worldwide protests criticizing what dissenters called harsh and hasty steps taken by Norwegian social workers without proper evidence.

— Tomris Laffly, Time, 23 Oct. 2026
Cofer is criticizing Guerra’s absence from the vote and is asking him to publicly state his position on the partnership.

— Jennah Pendleton, Sacbee.com, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of criticizing

Verb

At first, there doesn’t seem to be much of a connection between the colorful, family-friendly world of Pokémon and the loud, head-banging techno genre.

— Jordan Moreau, Variety, 25 Oct. 2026
Written by John Hughes, this tale about best pals Andie (Molly Ringwald) and Duckie (Jon Cryer) unfolds to a banging soundtrack and boasts a handful of scenes that remain generational signatures.

— Sezin Devi Koehler, Entertainment Weekly, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of banging

Verb

Intriguingly, this might not just be slapping boards into a plastic box.

— Sean Hollister, The Verge, 21 Oct. 2026
That incident involved Smith rushing the stage and slapping host Chris Rock with an open hand after the Oscars host made jokes about Jada Pinkett Smith.

— Tracy Brown, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2026