knock down
Britishverb
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to strike to the ground with a blow, as in boxing
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(in auctions) to declare (an article) sold, as by striking a blow with a gavel
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to demolish
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to dismantle, for ease of transport
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informal to reduce (a price, etc)
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slang to spend (a cheque)
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slang to drink
adjective
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overwhelming; powerful
a knockdown blow
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cheap
I got the table at a knockdown price
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easily dismantled
knockdown furniture
noun
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Take apart for storage or shipping, as in We need to knock down this chest to ship it safely overseas . [Mid-1900s]
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Declare sold at an auction, as by striking a blow with a gavel. For example, That was the last bid, and the first edition was knocked down for only three hundred . [Mid-1700s]
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Reduce the price of, as in They knocked it down by another hundred dollars , or An overabundant harvest will knock down corn prices . [ Colloquial ; mid-1800].
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Earn as wages, as in She knocks down a hundred grand a year . [ Slang ; 1920s]
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Steal, embezzle, as in He was caught knocking down the box-office receipts . This usage may be obsolescent. [ Slang ; mid-1800s] Also see knock over , def. 2.
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.
He may not be the defender the Lakers were hoping to get, but Kennard’s ability to knock down open shots was seen as a positive, sources told The Times.
From Los Angeles Times
The fire was knocked down in under 20 minutes and the cause is under investigation.
From Los Angeles Times
Last year, she picked up a supporting actress Emmy nomination as a dethroned but not knocked down executive in “The Studio”; she’s fierce and funny.
From Los Angeles Times
USC knocked down nine of its next 11 shots, while Iowa didn’t hit another shot from the perimeter until the fourth quarter.
From Los Angeles Times
He knocked down two three pointers and slammed a one-handed transition dunk to elicit a roar from the crowd that welcomed back a son they watched grow up.
From Los Angeles Times
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
