1 A2 neutral
To accidentally hit something and cause it to fall or topple.
"She reached across the desk and knocked over her coffee, spilling it all over the keyboard."
separable
knock over
A2 neutral separable transitive
To cause something or someone to fall by hitting or bumping into it.
In plain English
To accidentally hit something and make it fall on its side.
What does "knock over" mean?
3 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 A2 neutral
To hit and cause a person to fall, typically with a vehicle.
"A cyclist was knocked over by a taxi that jumped the pavement."
separable
3 B2 idiomatic slang
Informal slang: to rob a place, such as a bank or shop.
"The gang had planned to knock over the jewellery store on a busy Saturday morning."
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To knock something so that it goes over onto its side.
Actually means
To accidentally hit something and make it fall on its side.
Usage tip
Very common and mostly literal. Used for objects (knocking over a glass, a lamp) or people (a car knocking over a pedestrian). Also used informally to mean to rob a place such as a bank ('knock over a bank'), though this sense is informal and primarily North American slang.
Words that pair with "knock over"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
glass vase lamp pedestrian bike bank store
How to conjugate "knock over"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
knock over
I/you/we/they
3rd person
knocks over
he/she/it
Past simple
knocked over
yesterday
Past participle
knocked over
have + pp
-ing form
knocking over
continuous
Hear "knock over" in the wild
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Other ways to say "knock over"
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Keep exploring
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