knit
Americanverb (used with object)
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knits,
present (3rd person singular)
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knitted,
past participle, past
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knit,
past participle, past
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knitting
present participle
-
Knitting. to make (a garment, fabric, etc.) by interlocking loops of one or more yarns either by hand with knitting needles or by machine.
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to join closely and firmly, as members or parts (often followed bytogether ).
The tragedy knitted the family closer together.
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to contract into folds or wrinkles.
to knit the brow.
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to form or create from diverse sources or elements.
She knitted her play from old folk tales and family anecdotes.
verb (used without object)
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knits,
present (3rd person singular)
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knitted,
past participle, past
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knit,
past participle, past
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knitting
present participle
-
to become closely and firmly joined together; grow together, as broken bones do.
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to contract into folds or wrinkles, as the brow.
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to become closely and intimately united.
noun
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fabric produced by knitting.
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a knitted garment.
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a style or type of knitting.
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the basic stitch in knitting, formed by pulling a loop of the working yarn forward through an existing stitch and then slipping that stitch off the needle.
verb
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to make (a garment, etc) by looping and entwining (yarn, esp wool) by hand by means of long eyeless needles ( knitting needles ) or by machine ( knitting machine )
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to join or be joined together closely
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to draw (the brows) together or (of the brows) to come together, as in frowning or concentrating
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(of a broken bone) to join together; heal
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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knitsimple
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knitssimple
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have knitperfect
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have knittedperfect
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has knitperfect
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has knittedperfect
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am knittingprogressive
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are knittingprogressive
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is knittingprogressive
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have been knittingperfect progressive
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has been knittingperfect progressive
Past
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knitsimple
-
knittedsimple
-
had knitperfect
-
had knittedperfect
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was knittingprogressive
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were knittingprogressive
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had been knittingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of knit
before 1000; Middle English knitte, Old English cnyttan to tie; cognate with German knütten; see knot 1
Explanation
If you decide to knit a sweater, you will need yarn, knitting needles, an instruction manual, and lots of patience! Knitting involves different kinds of stitches or consecutive loops that you create in rows. The verb is derived from the Old English cnyttan, meaning “to tie with a knot, bind or fasten.” While knitting can also be completed with a machine, many people knit hats, scarves, and mittens as a hobby. Knit can also mean “entwine.” Two ideas or concepts can be knit together, and it could be said that a marriage knits two people together. Note that the ‘k’ at the beginning is silent.
Vocabulary lists containing knit
A Recipe for Success: Thanksgiving Cooking Words
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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:
That’s largely thanks to the actual campaign that Pappas has knit together—one that has closed the initial gap he faced and looks solid going into November.
From Slate ● Oct. 29, 2026
Her character wears legwarmers and knit wristlets to the office as protection against the air conditioning, which also serves to emphasize her company’s interpersonal chill.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 9, 2026
“It used to be a very close knit group of film critics, and now it’s kind of expanded because people have more of a voice on the internet.”
From Salon ● Sep. 9, 2026
Hundreds, perhaps thousands, circulated daily between the imperial and provincial courts, helping knit together an empire that, at its peak, ruled much of the Indian subcontinent and nearly a quarter of the world's population.
From BBC ● Jun. 27, 2026
He worked up a sweat and wiped his brow with a knit cap he pulled out of his pants pocket.
From "The Smartest Kid in the Universe" by Chris Grabenstein
The IPCC, set up in 1988, knits together assessments from thousands of climate scientists who work voluntarily to compile its mammoth reports.
From Barron's ● Oct. 19, 2026
In keeping with the tradition of Yuletide pullovers, Yiayia knits a bright-red Christmas sweater adorned with tassels and bells for her grandson’s dog.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 4, 2025
These knits have become synonymous with the holiday season.
From Slate ● Dec. 12, 2024
He knits everything together and he is the reason they are going on a bit of a run.
From BBC ● Dec. 6, 2024
There’s this cool girl, Autumn, who wears a bandanna and she knits.
From "The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora" by Pablo Cartaya
The so-called Quad alliance of Australia, India, the U.S., and Japan knitted closer together.
From Slate ● Oct. 8, 2026
By studying how the fabric's geometry and material properties influenced this snap-through behavior, the team determined the physical conditions that allow knitted textiles to become multistable.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 4, 2026
"Instead, their lives will be knitted into the narrative that everything they did transformed China into what it is now, rather than dwell on any other 'What If's'."
From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026
And in Seehorn he found someone who, with a mere sidelong glance or knitted brow, can let you in on Gilligan’s secrets.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026
So, when he asked her how she had chosen the four members of her academic team, Mrs. Olinski knitted her brow and answered with hushed seriousness.
From "The View From Saturday" by E.L. Konigsburg
The Ivy House in south London hosts a regular feminist sci-fi book club, a knitting circle and musical theater classes for children.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 25, 2026
This was an article about knitting, and this mismatch was immediately called out.
From Slate ● Oct. 11, 2026
But it does make mistakes when Vera wants to talk about knitting, often mishearing essential words and offering conversations on "biscuits and cakes" and "music, television, the garden or something else".
From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026
It is crucial to the city’s long-term plan of knitting together 300 miles of bikeways by 2040 to bring bicycle culture to Long Beach, as well as create safer streets.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 25, 2026
It has been brought to our attention that your knitting has revelatory information, and thus we must investigate.
From "The Marvellers" by Dhonielle Clayton
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