knots 1 of 2

noun

plural of knot
1
as in clusters
a number of things considered as a unit from the summit we could see knots of houses up and down the river valley

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2
as in swellings
a small rounded mass of swollen tissue felt a small knot on the back of his head

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3
as in links
a uniting or binding force or influence their business partnership is strengthened by the knot of personal friendship

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4
as in groupings
a usually small number of persons considered as a unit knots of people were quietly chatting around the meeting hall

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5
as in problems
something that requires thought and skill for resolution the situation involved so many legal knots that we decided to get a lawyer

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knots

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of knot
as in tangles
to twist together into a usually confused mass the extension cords were hopelessly knotted together

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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 knots
Noun
Recipes range from brownies and pies to fresh pasta and garlic knots. — Lauren Schuster, Miami Herald, 24 June 2026 Sweet and savory recipes range from brownies and pies to pasta and garlic knots. — Lauren Schuster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 June 2026 Student borrower Lori Correa, of North Carolina, is in knots over the changes and weighing her options. — Erik Ortiz, NBC news, 28 June 2026 Inspired by yacht racing, the modernized craft is made primarily of aluminum and carbon fiber and travels at around 14 knots, or roughly 16 miles per hour. — Mack Degeurin, Popular Science, 25 June 2026 Coop — who has been practicing his knots, learning how to drive the tender, and generally being attentive and curious about his new job — does wonderfully, which earns him some praise from the bosun. — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 30 June 2026 On Royal Caribbean’s official website, the cruise line says that the average cruising speed is about 18 to 20 knots (20 to 23 mph) depending on the ship and itinerary. — Natalia Senanayake, PEOPLE, 29 June 2026 These trimarans will be able to hit a speed of 14 knots, or around 16 mph (26 km/h), by using weather routing techniques to catch the wind in their sails and go from Bayonne, France, to New York in about 13 days. — Abhimanyu Ghoshal, New Atlas, 28 June 2026 According to court documents cited by KXAN and WNEM-TV5, the girl was also described as morbidly obese and was found dirty, with knots in her hair, and unclothed outside the home when officers arrived. — Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 27 June 2026
Verb
No matter how many knots a lawyer ties themselves in to get there, legality is not legitimacy. — Jon Duffy, Mercury News, 29 Nov. 2025 Stories like these usually lurch from one contrivance and complication to the next, but Chad Powers knots itself into a genuinely thorny conflict by the finale. — Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 29 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for knots
  1. clusters
  2. swellings
  3. links
  4. groupings
  5. problems
  6. tangles
  7. batches
  8. lumps
Noun
  • Stake your cherry tomatoes early to avoid damaging stems or fruits and ensure proper support for heavy clusters.
    — Helena Madden, Martha Stewart, 4 July 2026
  • Investigations to identify potential clusters and sources of illness are ongoing.
    — Brenda Goodman, CNN Money, 3 July 2026
Definition of clusters
Noun
  • This microscopic roundworm lays its eggs in root tissues, causing swellings or galls to develop on infected roots.
    — Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 21 June 2026
  • Infection is rapid, causing swellings in the lymph nodes (buboes) and leading to septicaemia and pulmonary infection.
    — Matthew Binnicker, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2025
Definition of swellings
Noun
  • The same 2024 review links dysbiosis to halitosis, cavities, gingivitis, periodontitis and oral candidiasis.
    — Allison Palmer, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 July 2026
  • However, StyleCaster may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.
    — Katie Decker-Jacoby, StyleCaster, 2 July 2026
Definition of links
Noun
  • When in a forest, stay in proximity to shorter tree groupings.
    — NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 30 June 2026
  • When in a forest, stay in proximity to shorter tree groupings.
    — KANSAS CITY STAR WEATHER BOT, Kansas City Star, 21 June 2026
Definition of groupings
Noun
  • Pyrotechnics set off at home are even more likely to trigger cardiovascular problems, the American Lung Assn.
    — Corinne Purtill, Los Angeles Times, 4 July 2026
  • Some people have to remove bird feeders during the summer because of problems with bears, raccoons, and other wild animals.
    — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 4 July 2026
Definition of problems
Verb
  • Wire pin or slicker brushes work best for dogs with long hair that tangles easily.
    — BestReviews, Mercury News, 7 Nov. 2025
Definition of tangles
Noun
  • So far, the Pentagon has released three batches of files ranging from decades-old FBI reports to more recent military videos showing orbs darting or soaring through the sky.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 1 July 2026
  • Demo Brewing Company Malt Row’s most compact brewery, Demo, makes small craft batches, so their tap list is constantly evolving.
    — Midwest Living, Midwest Living, 1 July 2026
Definition of batches
Noun
  • Can turkey tail mushrooms shrink lipomas, the soft, fatty lumps that show up under the skin of countless aging dogs?
    — Samantha Agate, Charlotte Observer, 25 June 2026
  • Far from lumps of rock, the trojans, along with DJ and Dinkinesh (which is the Ethiopian name for the Lucy fossil), are windows into the past, and the storytellers of the Earth's most ancient history.
    — Keith Cooper, Space.com, 19 June 2026
Definition of lumps

Browse Nearby Words

knotholes
knots
knotted
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Cite this Entry

“Knots.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/knots. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on knots

Nglish: Translation of knots for Spanish Speakers

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