knock out
To make someone fall unconscious, to beat someone in a competition so they can't continue, or to make something fast.
Meanings
To cause someone to lose consciousness with a blow or blow-like force.
"The punch landed squarely on his jaw and knocked him out cold."
To eliminate a competitor or team from a tournament or competition.
"Brazil were knocked out in the quarter-finals by a team no one had expected to win."
To impress or astonish someone greatly.
"Her debut novel completely knocked me out — I couldn't put it down."
To produce something quickly and with ease.
"He knocked out the report in forty minutes and had the rest of the afternoon free."
Extremely versatile. Key senses: (1) boxing — rendering an opponent unconscious; (2) competition — eliminating a team or player; (3) informal — to impress someone enormously; (4) informal — to produce something quickly. The adjective 'knockout' (a knockout performance) is very common. All registers from neutral to informal.
Commonly used with
Forms
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Synonyms
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