Knock out meaning
Knock out means to hit someone so hard that they become unconscious. It can also mean to beat a team or player so they leave a competition.
knock somebody or something out
knock out · knocked · knocking
He fell off the ladder and knocked himself out.
Knock out meanings and examples
3 meanings, each with its own CEFR level. A level marked ~ is our estimate: Oxford and Cambridge give none for that meaning.
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1
Hit someone so hard that they become unconscious
knock somebody or something out
- He fell off the ladder and knocked himself out.
- The boxer knocked out his opponent in the second round.
- The ball hit her head, but it didn’t knock her out.
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2
Beat a team or player so they leave a competition
knock somebody out
- Spain knocked Germany out of the World Cup.
- We were knocked out in the first round.
- A small club knocked out the champions.
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3
Make someone very tired or make them sleep
knock somebody out
- That long walk really knocked me out.
- These cold pills knock me out for hours.
- The flight knocked the kids out. They slept all evening.
Café orders
New friends
At the airport
Slova
Use knock out in real conversations
- Learn new words with picture cards
- Talk with Felix, an AI tutor, about the things you love
- Short lessons at your level, a few minutes a day
Is knock out separable?
Knock out is separable: knock out the champion or knock the champion out. With a pronoun, it goes in the middle: knock him out. For a competition, add of: knocked out of the cup.
A knockout is a punch that wins a fight, or a competition where losers leave each round. Knock yourself out! is informal and means go ahead, do it.
Verb tenses for knock out
| Present | I knock out · she knocks out |
|---|---|
| Past | knocked out |
| Present perfect | have knocked out |
| -ing form | knocking out |
Common mistakes with knock out
What learners often say, and what to say instead.
Wrong: They knocked out us in the semi-final.
Right: They knocked us out in the semi-final.
A pronoun goes between knock and out.
Wrong: We were knocked out from the tournament.
Right: We were knocked out of the tournament.
Use of before the competition.
Wrong: It was so hot that I knocked out on the bus.
Right: It was so hot that I passed out on the bus.
When you faint by yourself, say pass out.
Synonyms and opposites of knock out
Words close to it, and words that mean the opposite.
Similar
- eliminateformal, remove a team from a competition
- pass outbecome unconscious, not because someone hit you
- wear outmake someone very tired
Opposite
- come roundbecome conscious again
- go throughwin and move to the next round
Knock out quiz
Three quick questions. Pick an answer to see if it is right and why.
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1Our team was ___ of the cup by a smaller club.
Be knocked out of a competition means lose and leave it.
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2Choose the right sentence.
The pronoun goes in the middle, with no from.
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3“That swim knocked me out.” How does the speaker feel?
Knock someone out can mean make them very tired.
More phrasal verbs with knock
2 phrasal verbs start with knock. Test yourself on all of them in a few minutes.
Knock out FAQ
Questions people ask about knock out.
What does knock yourself out mean?
Informally, Knock yourself out! means go ahead and do it, if you really want to: You want to clean my car? Knock yourself out.
What is a knockout?
In boxing, it is a hit that makes the other boxer unable to get up. A knockout stage is the part of a competition where the loser leaves.
What is the difference between knock out and pass out?
Something or someone knocks you out. You pass out by yourself, for example from heat or shock.
Use knock out in real conversations
In Slova you learn new words with picture cards, then use them when you talk about the things you love. A few minutes a day, at your level.