knockdown

1 of 3

adjective

knock·​down ˈnäk-ˌdau̇n How to pronounce knockdown (audio)
1
: having such force as to strike down or overwhelm
a bewildering assortment of knockdown argumentsJ. W. Krutch
2
: that can easily be assembled or disassembled
a knockdown table
3
chiefly British : extremely low : reduced
knockdown prices

knockdown

2 of 3

noun

1
: the action of knocking down
2
: something (such as a blow) that strikes down or overwhelms
3
: something (such as a piece of furniture) that can be easily assembled or disassembled

knock down

3 of 3

verb

knocked down; knocking down; knocks down

transitive verb

1
: to strike to the ground with or as if with a sharp blow : fell
2
: to dispose of (an item) to a bidder at an auction sale
3
: to take apart : disassemble
4
: to receive as income or salary : earn
positions where they were able to knock down good moneyInfantry Journal
5
: reduce
knocked the price down
6
basketball, informal : to succeed in making (a jump shot or foul shot)
She scored 10 points on the night with three assists. She also knocked down three out of four free-throw attempts.Niki Herbert
Pierce faked right, drove left, turned and knocked down a fadeaway jumper.Jason Mastrodonato

Examples of knockdown in a Sentence

Adjective Now's your chance to buy these items at knockdown prices! Verb she's knocking down a good salary, but she has to work very hard right after the holidays the stores start to knock down the window displays
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
The Suns need another knockdown shooter and could use a versatile four. Duane Rankin, The Arizona Republic, 8 Feb. 2023 That competitive mariachi exists is a knockdown effect of this. Los Angeles Times, 26 Jan. 2023
Noun
Padley’s corner threw in the towel following a third knockdown in the ninth round. Brian Mazique, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2025 In Bogdanovic, the Clippers get a 32-year-old seasoned swingman who can still be a third or fourth scoring option and knockdown shooter. Janis Carr, Orange County Register, 6 Feb. 2025
Verb
This is the first vacuum where have a president who, at least in the short term, does not care if his policies knock down stock prices while the Fed is distinctly on hold because of inflationary fears. Jim Cramer, CNBC, 2 Mar. 2025 And the five-time All-Star, who turned 26 on Friday, helped make sure the 21-point lead the Lakers built in the third quarter didn’t go to waste, knocking down a turnaround fadeaway midrange jumper over Kris Dunn for a 107-96 lead with just over three minutes left. Khobi Price, Orange County Register, 2 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for knockdown

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1690, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1809, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of knockdown was in the 15th century

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Cite this Entry

“Knockdown.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/knockdown. Accessed 9 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

knock down

verb
1
: to strike to the ground with or as if with a sharp blow
2
: to sell to the highest bidder at an auction
3
: to take apart
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