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

This plan seemed to work as Watkins missed shots and showed frustration in the second quarter knocking over Michigan’s Jordan Hobbs picking up her second foul. —Allison Smith, Forbes, 9 Mar. 2025

Strong winds wreaked havoc across Massachusetts on Friday, knocking over trees and utility poles, causing a slew of power outages and disrupting traffic. —Lance Reynolds, Boston Herald, 8 Mar. 2025

Amid their fighting, the pair knock over a large fuel tank, and Kreese later takes his cigar and throws it into the fuel, setting off an explosion that destroys the boat and presumably kills them both. —Arabella Hau, People.com, 2 Mar. 2025

Philemon, his back to her, is frantically knocking over tables and chairs as his legs turn to wood. —Hannah Gold, Harper's Magazine, 19 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

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

Rhymes for knock over

• carryover
• changeover
• crossover
• cutover
• flashover
• hangover
• holdover
• layover
• leftover
• makeover
• moreover
• passover