knock over

verb

knocked over; knocking over; knocks over

transitive verb

1

a(1)

: to strike to the ground : fell

(2)

: overwhelm

was knocked over by the news

b

: eliminate

knocked over every difficulty

2

a

: steal

especially : hijack

knocks over a truckload of merchandise

—J. B. Martin

b

: rob

knocking over a bank

Synonyms

• burglarize
• burgle
• knock off
• rip off
• rob
• steal (from)
• take off [slang]

Examples of knock over in a Sentence

he knocked over six convenience stores before getting caught

knocked me over trying to get out the door

Recent Examples on the Web

The best moments in those films use the small and weird gestures — Pippin goofily knocking over a skull in Moria; Denethor crunching on a tomato — as avenues into the eldritch or grandly tragic: the arrival of the Balrog or Gondor’s doomed stand in Osgiliath. —Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 29 Aug. 2024

If one trips while talking into the camera and knocks over a few others, everybody will be cool, right? —Frederick Dreier, Outside Online, 9 Nov. 2024

In 2019, a delivery driver died after he was hit by a tree knocked over by strong winds in Beijing, according to state media Global Times. —Chris Lau, CNN, 17 Oct. 2024

Chuckle at cats in r/pics Search Google for information on why orange cats are so nefarious Watch a video compilation on YouTube of cats knocking over vases Arrive at work. —Yeo Boon Ping, CNBC, 30 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1814, in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)