variants
or knock-down-and-drag-out
as in fierce
marked by bursts of destructive force or intense activity
the football game was a knock-down, drag-out battle between bitter rivals
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of knock-down, drag-out
This was a knock-down, drag-out fight — the kind of match that would make for excellent watching when Marvel Snap tournaments are up and running.
—
Ash Parrish, The Verge, 31 Jan. 2023
Last week’s knock-down, drag-out fight could just be the first of many this session as GOP lawmakers grapple with government spending, the debt ceiling and the situation at the border.
—Dallas News, 10 Jan. 2023
But both performers rode their SNL success to Hollywood superstardom, in turn validating the audience's appetite for inspired silliness and knock-down, drag-out belly-laughs.
—Dennis Perkins, EW.com, 13 Dec. 2022
As much as the streaming wars can feel like a knock-down, drag-out fight, Amazon can spend time on the ropes because streaming isn’t its core business.
—Angela Watercutter, Wired, 18 Mar. 2022
But rather than a knock-down, drag-out fight to the finish, this series is all about empowerment.
—Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 17 Feb. 2022
However, leaping in expecting an argument to become a knock-down, drag-out fight isn't the best way to go about your life.
—Tarot Astrologers, chicagotribune.com, 9 Feb. 2022
Its climactic scenes are the same as any classically satisfying sports movie’s: athletes (in this case, young Venus) making decisions about themselves, their worth, their futures, and bringing those notions to bear in a knock-down, drag-out match.
—K. Austin Collins, Rolling Stone, 19 Nov. 2021
The show features all the beats of a rom-com (an onion-like peeling of layers, a knock-down, drag-out fight, a grand, loving gesture that attempts to soothe it all) and even pays homage to a few of the genre mainstays.
—BostonGlobe.com, 15 Sep. 2021
Ash Parrish, The Verge, 31 Jan. 2023
Last week’s knock-down, drag-out fight could just be the first of many this session as GOP lawmakers grapple with government spending, the debt ceiling and the situation at the border.
—Dallas News, 10 Jan. 2023
But both performers rode their SNL success to Hollywood superstardom, in turn validating the audience's appetite for inspired silliness and knock-down, drag-out belly-laughs.
—Dennis Perkins, EW.com, 13 Dec. 2022
As much as the streaming wars can feel like a knock-down, drag-out fight, Amazon can spend time on the ropes because streaming isn’t its core business.
—Angela Watercutter, Wired, 18 Mar. 2022
But rather than a knock-down, drag-out fight to the finish, this series is all about empowerment.
—Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 17 Feb. 2022
However, leaping in expecting an argument to become a knock-down, drag-out fight isn't the best way to go about your life.
—Tarot Astrologers, chicagotribune.com, 9 Feb. 2022
Its climactic scenes are the same as any classically satisfying sports movie’s: athletes (in this case, young Venus) making decisions about themselves, their worth, their futures, and bringing those notions to bear in a knock-down, drag-out match.
—K. Austin Collins, Rolling Stone, 19 Nov. 2021
The show features all the beats of a rom-com (an onion-like peeling of layers, a knock-down, drag-out fight, a grand, loving gesture that attempts to soothe it all) and even pays homage to a few of the genre mainstays.
—BostonGlobe.com, 15 Sep. 2021
Recent Examples of Synonyms for knock-down, drag-out
Adjective
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Her co-star and director Justin Baldoni, the outspoken actor highly regarded as one of the industry's fiercest defenders of women.Jay Stahl, USA TODAY, 22 Dec. 2024
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Enticing notes of lemon confit, citrus blossom and a saline minerality make one yearn for the sea with subtle flavors of nectarine and chamomile tea on the palate with a fierce mineral finish and mouthwatering acidity that is impressive.Cathrine Todd, Forbes, 21 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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In it, Elphaba and Galinda profess their undying friendship; suffice it to say that Grande found the notion of treating her co-star with violent hostility an acting challenge.Daniel D'Addario, Variety, 2 Jan. 2025
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Against a backdrop of violent tensions between Egyptians and various African nationalities, Aisha’s situation turns sour after a local gang offers her protection in exchange for a favor.Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 1 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Paco, a punk rocker played by a ferocious Héctor Medina, is among those who take this drastic measure and is sent away.Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times, 31 Dec. 2024
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No matter what spec-chart flunkies might say about a car that merely hits 60 mph in 3.1 seconds, GT 63 proved as ferocious and exhilarating as any front-engine GT car available, whether German, Italian or English.Mark Ewing, Forbes, 30 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater drama:The internet is furious at Ariana Grande.Edward Segarra, USA TODAY, 19 Dec. 2024
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Many Southern California hikers are furious, convinced the move was unnecessary.Sammy Roth, Los Angeles Times, 24 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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For example, the Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive has stunning views of volcanic formations and informative signs explaining the area’s geological history.Carrie Dennis, Travel + Leisure, 31 Dec. 2024
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Canary Islands, Spain These islands offer a warm climate all year round and landscapes ranging from volcanic beaches to laurel forests.Wilson Santiago Burgos, USA TODAY, 29 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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That's what's happened in House of the Dragon season 2's vicious civil war, the Dance of the Dragons.David Faris, Newsweek, 28 Dec. 2024
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The 2024 adaptation of Nosferatu, the second cinematic remake of the German Expressionist classic, stars horror mainstay Skarsgård (It, Barbarian) as the vicious Count Orlok.Celia Mattison, Vulture, 27 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near knock-down, drag-out
Cite this Entry
“Knock-down, drag-out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/knock-down%2C%20drag-out. Accessed 8 Jan. 2025.
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