Meaning & use

knock

verb·Everyday

To strike a surface, especially a door, with sharp blows to attract attention.

See it in a sentence

Someone knocked on the door just as we sat down for dinner.

She knocked twice before entering her boss's office.

A note on using this word

Informally, "to knock" someone or something also means to criticize it, as in "don't knock it till you try it."

Words with a similar meaning

raptap

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Another way to use it

2. noun

A sharp blow or the sound made by striking something, especially a door.

We heard a loud knock at midnight and jumped out of bed.

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