knockdown
Americanadjective
-
capable of knocking something down; overwhelming; irresistible.
a knockdown blow.
-
constructed in separate parts that can readily be taken apart for easy storage, shipping, etc..
a knockdown toolshed.
-
offered or acquired for less than the prevailing rate.
first-rate goods at knockdown prices.
noun
-
a knockdown object.
-
an act or instance of knocking down, especially by a blow.
-
something that fells or overwhelms.
-
reduction or lowering, as in price or number.
The store offered a knockdown of 15 percent to its own employees.
-
Slang. an introduction, especially to a person.
He gave me a real knockdown to the company.
-
Nautical. the capsizing of a small boat as a result of a strong gust of wind.
Etymology
Origin of knockdown
First recorded in 1680–90; adj., noun use of verb phrase knock down
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.
Even the neuroscientist Anil Seth, one of the most prominent skeptical voices on AI consciousness, concedes there is “no knockdown argument” that consciousness requires a biological substrate.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 10, 2026
SAN ANTONIO—The knockdown, drag-out Western Conference Finals are barely halfway over, and they’re already a modern classic.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 25, 2026
Wilder was docked a point for pushing, and both men ended up on the canvas again in the 11th, though neither incident was ruled a knockdown.
From BBC • Apr. 4, 2026
Showing her continued emergence as a knockdown shooter, Jaquez made 10 of 14 shots, including five of six three-pointers, and is now shooting a career-high 48.6% from beyond the arc this season.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 30, 2025
Probably a knockdown or a knockout, he thought; maybe the brash kid had made good his boast.
From "145th Street: Short Stories" by Walter Dean Myers
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.
