knockout
1 of 3noun
knock·out ˈnäk-ˌau̇t 
1
a
: the act of knocking out : the condition of being knocked out
b(1)
: the termination of a boxing match when one boxer has been knocked down and is unable to rise and resume boxing within a specified time
(2)
: technical knockout
c
: a blow that knocks out an opponent
2
: a sensationally striking, appealing, or attractive person or thing
knockout
2 of 3adjective
1
: causing a knockout
a knockout blow
2
: sensationally striking, appealing, or attractive
a knockout dress
3
: having all or part of a gene eliminated or inactivated by genetic engineering
knockout mice predisposed to diabetes mellitus
knock out
3 of 3verb
knocked out; knocking out; knocks out
transitive verb
1
: to produce roughly or hastily
2
a(1)
: to defeat (a boxing opponent) by a knockout
(2)
: to make unconscious
the drug knocked him out
b
: to make inoperative or useless
electricity was knocked out by the storm
c
: to get rid of : eliminate
knocked out illegal gambling
3
: to tire out : exhaust
knocked themselves out with work
4
: to cause (an opposing pitcher) to be removed from a baseball game by a batting rally
Synonyms
Noun
- babe [slang]
- beauty
- beauty queen
- cookie
- cooky
- cutie
- cutey
- dolly bird [British]
- enchantress
- eyeful
- fox
- goddess
- honey
- queen
- stunner
Adjective
- aesthetic
- esthetic
- aesthetical
- esthetical
- attractive
- beauteous
- beautiful
- bonny [chiefly British]
- bonnie
- comely
- cute
- drop-dead
- fair
- fetching
- good
- good-looking
- goodly
- gorgeous
- handsome
- likely
- lovely
- lovesome
- pretty
- ravishing
- seemly
- sightly
- stunning
- taking
- well-favored
Verb
- break
- burn out
- bust
- do in
- do up
- drain
- exhaust
- fag
- fatigue
- frazzle
- harass
- kill
- outwear
- tire
- tucker (out)
- wash out
- wear
- wear out
- weary
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Noun He won the match by a knockout. He scored a knockout in the fourth round. She's a real knockout in that dress. Adjective The Wimbledon tennis tournament is a knockout competition. a knockout sports car that's the talk of the neighborhood Verb the entire staff knocked itself out getting the project finished on time See More
Recent Examples on the Web
Khobi Price, Orlando Sentinel, 10 Sep. 2022 The win secured Slovenia the top seed out of Group B as the knockout rounds begin this weekend. Joe Morgan, Fox News, 7 Sep. 2022 The previous teenager to score twice in a World Cup knockout game was a Brazilian kid named Pelé. Joshua Robinson, WSJ, 6 Sep. 2022 As a cocktail-swilling neighbor with some dark secrets of her own, Wilde has a few knockout scenes. Clayton Davis, Variety, 5 Sep. 2022 That’s three losses in five fights, piercing the aura of a British boxer who sold out big stadiums and was once regarded as a knockout machine. Steve Douglas, ajc, 21 Aug. 2022 Nico Ali Walsh, the grandson of Muhammad Ali, improved to 6-0 (5 KOs) with a knockout victory thanks to wicked second round body shot of Reyes Sanchez in a middleweight bout. Ivan Carter, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Aug. 2022 Instead, Joshua lost by a shocking seventh-round knockout. Morgan Campbell, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2022 The stakes will be higher than ever during the Knockout Rounds thanks to a new three-way knockout rule that will see three different singers or groups facing off for a single spot in the Live Playoffs. Glenn Rowley, Billboard, 17 Aug. 2022 André-naquian Wheeler, Vogue, 30 Aug. 2022 The Arena gym with highly respected trainer Basheer Abdullah and is 2-0 with two knockout victories after making the transition from MMA fighting four years ago. Ivan Carter, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Aug. 2022 Costa, meanwhile, who has a reputation for being a knockout artist, also seemed to lack energy throughout, and wasn’t doing much to press the action. Eric Walden, The Salt Lake Tribune, 21 Aug. 2022 In those cases, Metteer says, a knockout cover letter is a candidate’s best bet of standing out. Jane Thier, Fortune, 23 July 2022 Furnished with antiques, the spot has a bistro-style menu with dishes such as a knockout chicken liver mousse with olive oil jam. Elycia Rubin, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 July 2022 Italy was then shut out by Korea, 4-0, in the knockout stage. New York Times, 12 Mar. 2022 But Mark knew football would win out when, in a league for nine-year-olds, Hubbard sidelined a player with a knockout tackle. Nick Alvarez | Nalvarez@al.com, al, 30 June 2022 Bidding on two additional rights packages — TV and digital broadcast rights outside India; and rights for select matches, including the tournament opener and some knockout games — are also still underway. Patrick Brzeski, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 June 2022 See More
Noun
As a team, Germany performed better in the group-stage games than most expected, going 4-1 in Group B to qualify for the 16-team single-elimination knockout stage. Khobi Price, Orlando Sentinel, 10 Sep. 2022 The win secured Slovenia the top seed out of Group B as the knockout rounds begin this weekend. Joe Morgan, Fox News, 7 Sep. 2022 The previous teenager to score twice in a World Cup knockout game was a Brazilian kid named Pelé. Joshua Robinson, WSJ, 6 Sep. 2022 As a cocktail-swilling neighbor with some dark secrets of her own, Wilde has a few knockout scenes. Clayton Davis, Variety, 5 Sep. 2022 That’s three losses in five fights, piercing the aura of a British boxer who sold out big stadiums and was once regarded as a knockout machine. Steve Douglas, ajc, 21 Aug. 2022 Nico Ali Walsh, the grandson of Muhammad Ali, improved to 6-0 (5 KOs) with a knockout victory thanks to wicked second round body shot of Reyes Sanchez in a middleweight bout. Ivan Carter, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Aug. 2022 Instead, Joshua lost by a shocking seventh-round knockout. Morgan Campbell, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2022 The stakes will be higher than ever during the Knockout Rounds thanks to a new three-way knockout rule that will see three different singers or groups facing off for a single spot in the Live Playoffs. Glenn Rowley, Billboard, 17 Aug. 2022 Adjective
First up is Jodie Turner-Smith, who provided a knockout arrival, strutting through the airport in a flowy two-piece suit that featured a yellow-to-pink gradient. André-naquian Wheeler, Vogue, 30 Aug. 2022 The Arena gym with highly respected trainer Basheer Abdullah and is 2-0 with two knockout victories after making the transition from MMA fighting four years ago. Ivan Carter, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Aug. 2022 Costa, meanwhile, who has a reputation for being a knockout artist, also seemed to lack energy throughout, and wasn’t doing much to press the action. Eric Walden, The Salt Lake Tribune, 21 Aug. 2022 In those cases, Metteer says, a knockout cover letter is a candidate’s best bet of standing out. Jane Thier, Fortune, 23 July 2022 Furnished with antiques, the spot has a bistro-style menu with dishes such as a knockout chicken liver mousse with olive oil jam. Elycia Rubin, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 July 2022 Italy was then shut out by Korea, 4-0, in the knockout stage. New York Times, 12 Mar. 2022 But Mark knew football would win out when, in a league for nine-year-olds, Hubbard sidelined a player with a knockout tackle. Nick Alvarez | Nalvarez@al.com, al, 30 June 2022 Bidding on two additional rights packages — TV and digital broadcast rights outside India; and rights for select matches, including the tournament opener and some knockout games — are also still underway. Patrick Brzeski, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 June 2022 See More Word History
First Known Use
Noun
1887, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Adjective
1818, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Verb
1856, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Phrases Containing knockout
Medical Definition
knockout
adjective
knock·out ˈnäk-ˌau̇t
: having all or part of a gene eliminated or inactivated by genetic engineering
knockout mice predisposed to diabetes mellitus serve as animal models in the study of human diabetes
knocking out
verb
as in wearing
to use up all the physical energy of the entire staff knocked itself out getting the project finished on time Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- wearing
- killing
- exhausting
- burning out
- wearing out
- tiring
- draining
- washing out
- doing in
- doing up
- wearing to a frazzle
- tuckering (out)
- wasting
- harassing
- breaking
- outwearing
- busting
- wearying
- fatiguing
- weakening
- fagging
- debilitating
- frazzling
- sapping
- enfeebling
- enervating
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- strengthening
- activating
- energizing
- resting
- invigorating
- rejuvenating
- relaxing
- vitalizing
- unwinding