as in to sip
to swallow in liquid form
desperately thirsty, she knocked back an entire glass of water without pausing
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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of knock back
In Paris, Diana was tricked, by her husband and mine, into knocking back a wineglass that had a dead fly in it.
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Weike Wang, The New Yorker, 17 Aug. 2024
But later, Chiles' score was knocked back down when the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled her appeal was submitted four seconds too late.
—Laura L. Davis, USA TODAY, 12 Aug. 2024
Yet what so many of us recall haplessly knocking back in those bad old days is not even true tequila.
—Chantal Martineau, Foreign Affairs, 25 Nov. 2015
Or at Shuggie’s, knocking back 750 ml of natural orange wine, poured directly into your mouth by Murphy from a Catalan porrón.
POUR IT ON
A trash pie at Shuggies in San Francisco.
—Tamar Adler, Vogue, 25 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for knock back 
Weike Wang, The New Yorker, 17 Aug. 2024
But later, Chiles' score was knocked back down when the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled her appeal was submitted four seconds too late.
—Laura L. Davis, USA TODAY, 12 Aug. 2024
Yet what so many of us recall haplessly knocking back in those bad old days is not even true tequila.
—Chantal Martineau, Foreign Affairs, 25 Nov. 2015
Or at Shuggie’s, knocking back 750 ml of natural orange wine, poured directly into your mouth by Murphy from a Catalan porrón.
POUR IT ON
A trash pie at Shuggies in San Francisco.
—Tamar Adler, Vogue, 25 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for knock back
Recent Examples of Synonyms for knock back
Verb
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Here, guests can dine at the Cantina Restaurant for brunch and sip cocktails at the adjacent Le Club Bacan.Michaela Trimble, Vogue, 12 Jan. 2025
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As tea was poured, blown on, then sipped, gingerly.Han Ong, The New Yorker, 12 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Neighbors called the residents of the apartment where Portillo was found dead problem tenants who were known to drink excessively and act rowdy.Ellen Moynihan, New York Daily News, 16 Jan. 2025
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Angelle’s go-to drink for this month is an Orange Brûlée.Patrice J. Williams, Essence, 15 Jan. 2025
Verb
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As stock, a snakehead of an air intake protrudes from the right side of the motor, ready to gulp down oxygen for use in the Milwaukee-Eight’s twin furnaces.William Roberson, Forbes, 16 Dec. 2024
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For each correct answer, gulp a nip of Dr. McGillicuddy’s Wild Grape.Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 14 July 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near knock back
Cite this Entry
“Knock back.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/knock%20back. Accessed 20 Jan. 2025.
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