"knockout" means: The act of making one unconscious, or at least unable to come back on one's feet within a certain period of time; a TKO.. This is a fairly neutral word with no inherent risk attached. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than something dangerous. If your child uses it, context will usually make the meaning clear. A brief, curious question about where they heard it is generally enough to know whether to follow up.
knockout
The act of making one unconscious, or at least unable to come back on one's feet within a certain period of time; a TKO.
Seen in the wild
10 citations · last seen May 2026
Seen in the wild
BlueskyMay 2026
💪 Arsenal in the Champions League this season: 14 games played, 0 games lost. 29 goals scored and just six conceded (only two in the knockout phase!)
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BlueskyMay 2026
I’d put $100 on you for a knockout
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BlueskyMay 2026
Don't tell me they're bringing "It's a knockout" back.
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BlueskyMay 2026
So excited for this knockout matchup! 😊
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BlueskyMay 2026
g+ GameFlow: CONCACAF Champions League Knockout Round Tigres v Nashville SC on May 05, 2026. #TIGvNSH ⚽️🤖
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Definitions
#1·Apr 27, 2026
The act of making one unconscious, or at least unable to come back on one's feet within a certain period of time; a TKO.
See it in action
“I’d put $100 on you for a knockout”
The boxer scored a knockout on his opponent.
For parents
"knockout" means: The act of making one unconscious, or at least unable to come back on one's feet within a certain period of time; a TKO.. This is a fairly neutral word with no inherent risk attached. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than something dangerous. If your child uses it, context will usually make the meaning clear. A brief, curious question about where they heard it is generally enough to know whether to follow up.
For ESL learners
"knockout" means: The act of making one unconscious, or at least unable to come back on one's feet within a certain period of time; a TKO.. Register: neutral, standard English, usable in most everyday contexts. A common non-native mistake is to use the word in the wrong register, or to assume one fixed meaning when it is actually polysemous; always check the surrounding register and the audience before producing it yourself. In formal writing, prefer a neutral synonym or a short descriptive phrase, and use this word only when you have heard or read it being used naturally in a comparable context.
Heard in the wild
“💪 Arsenal in the Champions League this season: 14 games played, 0 games lost. 29 goals scored and just six conceded (only two in the knockout phase!)”
— Bluesky· May 2026“I’d put $100 on you for a knockout”
— Bluesky· May 2026“Don't tell me they're bringing "It's a knockout" back.”
— Bluesky· May 2026“So excited for this knockout matchup! 😊”
— Bluesky· May 2026“g+ GameFlow: CONCACAF Champions League Knockout Round Tigres v Nashville SC on May 05, 2026. #TIGvNSH ⚽️🤖”
— Bluesky· May 2026
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#2·Apr 27, 2026
The deactivation of anything.
Pull the plug on a node to see how the network handles a node knockout.
Heard in the wild
“Max Holloway dreamed of being on a video game cover as a kid. Now UFC 6 immortalizes his iconic horn-beating knockout of Justin Gaethje on the Ultimate Edition. 'It's unreal. It's unreal.' Drops June 19.”
— Bluesky· May 2026“Thank you, yes! Pretty routine stuff with some nice knockout drugs and a day in bed. Unpleasant but tomorrow will be better”
— Bluesky· May 2026“Oooooo yeah, let's go camp sweet tooth cuties!!!! Got a hankering for some lovelies both familiar and unfamiliar. I'm sure your newest novel will be a knockout, brother. 🏑😋💗🫶🏾”
— Bluesky· May 2026“WAYNE ROOT: The Powerful One-Two Knockout Punch Combination President Trump Can Use to Win Midterms: National Security Emergency & Indict Dr. Fauci www.thegatewaypundit.com/2026/05/wayn...”
— Bluesky· May 2026“OTD: GUINNESS PREMIERSHIP 2007 Tigers 26 (Ellis 1t, G Murphy 1t, Goode 2c 4p) Bristol 14 Semi-final Welford Road, 5 May Having lost to Bristol two weeks earlier, there would be no such problem in this knockout game. Tigers head to Twickenham to see off Gloucester.”
— Bluesky· May 2026
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#3·Apr 27, 2026
(informal) Something wildly popular, entertaining, or funny.
If you've ever had a sack race, you know it's a real knockout for kids and adults alike.
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For specific readers
Why is this section here?
Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.
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Other words near "knockout" (K)
knock offknock onknock-on effectknock one outknock on woodknock outknockout dropknock overknock someone into the middle of next weekknock someone out of timeknock someone's block offknock the persimmon
Browse all slang words starting with K.