knock away

knock away

1. To continue striking (something) sharply and swiftly. The man knocked away, but no one stirred inside the house. I was kept awake by the sound of a tree branch knocking away at my bedroom window.

2. To cause someone or something to move swiftly away (from someone, something, or oneself) with a sharp strike or collision. In this usage, a noun or pronoun can be used between "knock" and "away." The police officer knocked away the gun before the criminal could reach it. The force of the impact knocked me away from the control panel.

See also: away, knock

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

knock away (at something)

to continue to knock at something. The loose shutter kept knocking away at the side of the house. It knocked away all night, keeping me awake.

See also: away, knock

McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.