knock over
Idioms-
Astonish, overcome, as in Their resemblance completely knocked me over . [Mid-1800s] Also see knock for a loop .
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Steal or burgle, as in They knocked over one bank and headed for another . [ Slang ; 1920s]
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.
Like clockwork on trash day, bears come through and knock over cans, Peters said.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 4, 2025
The pachyderms' dung enriches the soil from which the plants grow; similarly, as they feed and go about their day-to-day business, the elephants knock over trees and disperse seeds.
From Salon • Feb. 6, 2024
It released footage showing troops using bulldozers to dig up earth and knock over walls.
From Reuters • Nov. 7, 2023
There will be one last crack at the Australians, one more chance to knock over David Warner, one final match to win.
From BBC • Jul. 29, 2023
Sometimes they sound so close that Marie-Laure fears they might graze the rooftops, knock over chimneys with their bellies.
From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr
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.
