kneecap
Americanverb (used with object)
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kneecaps,
present (3rd person singular)
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kneecapped,
past participle, past
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kneecapping
present participle
noun
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
kneecapsimple
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kneecapssimple
-
have kneecappedperfect
-
has kneecappedperfect
-
am kneecappingprogressive
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are kneecappingprogressive
-
is kneecappingprogressive
-
have been kneecappingperfect progressive
-
has been kneecappingperfect progressive
Past
-
kneecappedsimple
-
had kneecappedperfect
-
was kneecappingprogressive
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were kneecappingprogressive
-
had been kneecappingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of kneecap
Explanation
Your kneecap is the bony plate that covers the joint in the middle of your leg, between your thigh and shin. Whales don't have kneecaps, but it might surprise you to know that mice and birds do. The kneecap is just what it sounds like, a protective cap for your vulnerable knee. While the official anatomical term is patella, it's far more common to call this body part a kneecap. When babies are small, their kneecaps are made of soft cartilage, but by the time they're about three they harden into strong bone. If you're a fan of Mafia movies, you might also recognize the verb kneecap, "to shoot someone in the knee."
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.
See Examples For:
But on Wednesday, the era of the side-deal ground to a halt with a punishment that will kneecap Ballmer’s franchise for years to come.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 3, 2026
He did not say whether he believed his previous kneecap condition — Ohtani underwent surgery in 2019 to address the bipartite patella in his left knee — was connected.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026
Savitt, an OpenAI lawyer, said the lawsuit was motivated by Musk seeking to kneecap a "competitor".
From BBC ● Apr. 29, 2026
Few if any government spokespeople have done more to kneecap their own agency in court than McLaughlin.
From Slate ● Feb. 18, 2026
I jumped in my seat and cracked my kneecap on my desk.
From "Black Swan Green" by David Mitchell
Mexican Americans have long risen up to defend ourselves and defy our haters, but there’s usually an underlying strain of bitterness and anger that kneecaps us at the worst possible moments.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 6, 2026
Dorset Council leader Nick Ireland told the BBC at the time that it "kneecaps" the county’s efforts to achieve their "net zero" target - the goal of no longer adding to carbon emissions by 2050.
From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2024
The Fed is trying to pull of the difficult feat of slowing the economy enough through high interest rates to stifle high inflation but not so much that it kneecaps the job market.
From Seattle Times ● May 26, 2024
But some runners showed symptoms of new, if slight, damage in the bones and cartilage right around their kneecaps, a part of the joint that absorbs much of the pounding from running.
From Washington Post ● Oct. 19, 2022
Fatima had already cleaned the wounds with alcohol—yikes!—and put Band-Aids on both kneecaps.
From "Look Both Ways" by Jason Reynolds
Most notably, “Practical Magic 2” is kneecapped by a fatal flaw that plagues almost all of these legacy sequels, but this one especially: It’s positively unsightly to look at.
From Salon ● Sep. 14, 2026
Now, with their front office kneecapped for the foreseeable future, the Clippers will face a much harder challenge.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026
In the decade and a half before the GCA kneecapped his war-surplus business, Cummings imported some 5 million firearms for distribution on the U.S. consumer market.
From Slate ● May 25, 2025
If large domestic companies are kneecapped, foreign companies will be quick to seize market share in strategically sensitive sectors such as AI and quantum computing, the chamber wrote.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 21, 2022
The Delta wave kneecapped any sense that COVID-19 was behind us.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 16, 2021
Boulder, kneecapping a statute that was pretty clear on its face.
From Slate ● Oct. 5, 2026
Fable comes with broad restrictions Anthropic says are aimed at kneecapping its ability to assist users with potentially dangerous activities.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 11, 2026
"We should not be kneecapping America's largest source of renewable power, especially when we need more cheap, homegrown electricity," the Environmental Defense Fund's lead counsel Ted Kelly said in a statement.
From Barron's ● Dec. 22, 2025
“We should not be kneecapping America’s largest source of renewable power,” he said, “especially when we need more cheap, homegrown electricity.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 8, 2025
To make matters worse, the photo resulted in Griffin being investigated by the Department of Justice and the Secret Service, landing her on the no-fly list and kneecapping any remaining prospects of live standup work.
From Salon ● Oct. 28, 2024
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