technical knockout

American

noun

Boxing.

the termination of a bout by the referee when it is the judgment of the attending physician, a boxer's seconds, or the referee that a boxer cannot continue fighting without sustaining severe or disabling injury. TKO, T.K.O.

technical knockout British

noun

boxing a judgment of a knockout given when a boxer is in the referee's opinion too badly beaten to continue without risk of serious injury

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of technical knockout

First recorded in 1945–50

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Britain's Chris Billam-Smith marked Zuffa Boxing's UK debut show with a gritty performance to beat Ryan Rozicki by technical knockout after seven gruelling rounds in Bournemouth.

From BBC • Jun. 6, 2026

Also on the main card, rising Frenchman Benoit Saint Denis pummelled New Zealand's Dan Hooker with a second round technical knockout in the lightweight.

From Barron's • Feb. 1, 2026

His last UFC fight was a loss by technical knockout to Dustin Poirier in 2021.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 17, 2024

In approving terms for fights, the department’s combative sports staff considers, among other factors, each contestant’s age, medical tests, win-loss record and losses by knockout or technical knockout.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 30, 2024

This was not how Mormon had wanted the fight to end, in a technical knockout, with his man beginning to come back and he not allowed to finish him.

From Rimrock Trail by Dunn, J. Allan, (Joseph Allan)

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023