knock off

British  

verb

1. informal (intr, also preposition) to finish work

   we knocked off an hour early

2. informal (tr) to make or do hastily or easily

   to knock off a novel in a week

3. informal (tr; also preposition) to reduce the price of (an article) by (a stated amount)

4. slang (tr) to kill

5. slang (tr) to rob or steal

   to knock off a bank

   to knock off a watch

6. slang (tr) to stop doing something, used as a command

   knock it off!

7. slang (tr) to have sexual intercourse with; to seduce

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noun

1. informal

   1. an illegal imitation of a well-known product

   2. ( as modifier )

      knockoff watches

knock off Idioms  

1. Take a break or rest from, stop, especially quit working. For example, He knocked off work at noon , or Let's knock off at five o'clock . [ Colloquial ; mid-1600s] Also see knock it off .

2. Also, knock out . Dispose of or produce easily or hastily, finish, as in A writer of detective novels, he knocks off a book a year , or We can knock out a rough drawing in a few minutes . The first colloquial usage dates from the early 1800s, the variant from the mid-1800s.

3. Get rid of, reduce, as in She knocked off twelve pounds in a month , or They knocked off one-third of the original price . [ Colloquial ; early 1800s]

4. Kill, murder, as in They decided to knock off the old lady . [ Slang ; early 1900s] Also see knock someone's block off .

5. Copy or imitate, especially without permission, as in They are knocking off designer Swiss watches and selling them for a few dollars . [ Colloquial ; late 1800s]

6. Hold up, rob, as in The gang knocked off two liquor stores in half an hour . [ Slang ; early 1900s] Also see knock the socks off .

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

knock off

Press reports say CIA Director John Ratcliffe told Russia on his recent Moscow visit to knock off the help for Iran.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026

The court heard Anne Hillerby was told by Bush he would "knock off £100 for paying in cash" when she was charged "around £5,000" for two plans.

From BBC ● Jul. 30, 2026

McCollum knew how to knock off a national champion because, for much of his coaching life, he’d been a national champion himself.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 23, 2026

"I think it's sometimes a little bit harder when the person you're playing has already played a match, and then you're kind of trying to still knock off a bit of the rust," she said.

From Barron's ● Jan. 6, 2026

“If you merry minstrels want to knock off, you can,” says Mr. Van Deusen.

From "Shine!" by J.J. and Chris Grabenstein

Related Words

• dispatch
• dispose of
• eliminate
• snuff out
• whack