knock out

knock someone out 

1. Lit. to knock someone unconscious. (Someone includes oneself.) Fred knocked Mike out and left him there in the gutter. Fred knocked out Mike.

2. Fig. to make someone unconsciousness. The drug knocked her out quickly. The powerful medicine knocked out the patient.

3. Fig. to surprise or please someone. I have some news that will really knock you out.

4. Fig. to wear someone out; to exhaust someone. All that exercise really knocked me out. The day's activities knocked the kids out and they went right to bed.

See also: knock, out

knock something out 

1. to create something hastily. He knocked a few out as samples. He knocked out a few of them quickly, just so we could see what they were going to look like.

2. Fig. to put something out of order; to make something inoperable. The storm knocked the telephone system out. The high winds will probably knock out electrical service all over town.

See also: knock, out

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knock somebody/yourself out

to make someone very tired Pat has really knocked herself out cooking this dinner. All that shopping has knocked me out!

See also: knock, out

knock somebody out also knock out somebody

1. to hit someone so that they become unconscious His fall from the ladder knocked him out.

2. to cause someone to go to sleep I didn't realize those pills would knock me out.

3. to remove someone from a competition A loss in today's game will knock us out of the playoffs.

See also: knock, out

knock something out also knock out something

1. to destroy something Enemy aircraft have knocked out 25 tanks.

2. to cause something to stop working The lightning knocked out our electricity.

See also: knock, out