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

Police said items were found knocked over and broken, and there was evidence of drug use. —Shira Moolten, Sun Sentinel, 13 Dec. 2024

But putting that same robot in a grocery store would probably knock over some shelves and get stuck in the parking lot. —Julius Hietala, Forbes, 2 Dec. 2024

The monument was placed at the state capitol in June 2017 but was knocked over and broken by a protester in a car a day after installation. —George Petras, USA TODAY, 12 Nov. 2024

These began as urban fires, started by human error or other mishaps—legend blames the Great Chicago Fire on a cow knocking over a lantern in a barn—but natural disasters could set them off too: San Francisco went up in flames in 1906, in the aftermath of a devastating earthquake. —Caroline Mimbs Nyce, The Atlantic, 10 Sep. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

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