knock /; AmE / verb, noun

■ verb [+ obj] (often used with an adverb)

to affect sb/sth badly:

Scandals like this are knocking investor confidence.

A decline in sales knocked profits back 67% to €7.7 million.

Internet stocks were knocked lower by the news.

A further drop in the value of the currency could knock the industry off course.

IDIOMS

come knocking (informal)

if sb comes knocking they speak to or visit you because they want sth:

You can't rely on existing customers to come knocking when they need something.

knock on/at sb's/the door; knock on doors (informal)

to talk to or visit sb because you want sth from them:

Investment bankers have been knocking on our door once a month

(= wanting to invest).

In May, the company's sales team will begin knocking on doors.

PHRASAL VERBS

knock sb/sth back (usually be knocked back)

1

to have a bad effect on sb/sth; to prevent sb/sth from achieving sth or making progress:

The economy was knocked back by last year's recession.

2 (informal) (especially BrE)

to reject sb/sth:

They remain optimistic, although their takeover bid has been knocked back.

knock sb back sth (BrE) (informal)

to cost sb a lot of money:

The new computer system must have knocked them back a bit.

knock sb down (from sth) (to sth) (informal)

to persuade sb to reduce the price of sth:

I managed to knock him down to $400.

KNOCK-DOWN

knock sth down (from sth) (to sth) (informal)

to reduce the price of sth:

They knocked down the price from €400 to €300.

KNOCK-DOWN

knock sth down (to sb) (usually be knocked down)

to sell sth to sb at an auction:

The painting was eventually knocked down for ¥2 million.

The auctioneer will knock down the item to the highest bidder.

knock sth from sth

to cause the value of sth to fall by the amount mentioned:

The weakness of the currency knocked $30 million from our profits.

knock off; knock off sth (informal)

to stop doing sth, especially work:

Do you want to knock off early today?

What time do you knock off work?

knock off sth (informal)

to produce a product that is a cheap copy of sb else's design, often illegally:

An experienced engineer could knock off a patented drug in a few months.

HELP NOTE A noun or phrase must follow off, but a pronoun is placed between the verb and off.

KNOCK-OFF

knock sth off; knock sth off sth

to reduce the price, value, length, etc. of sth:

They knocked off €50 because there was a scratch.

The news knocked 13% off the company's shares.

The new railway line will knock 15 minutes off the journey time to Paris.

A poor performance in the banking sector knocked 33 points off the FTSE index.

knock sth out

1

to damage or destroy equipment; to stop equipment or a service from operating:

The storm knocked out power to more than one million homes.

If one site is knocked out, operations are immediately moved to another location.

2 (informal)

to produce sth, especially quickly and easily:

The PR people have knocked out a press release.

knock sth up (BrE)

to produce or make sth quickly and without much effort:

He can knock up a perfect espresso.

They have managed to knock up a 45% rise in profits this year.

■ noun

IDIOMS

take a (hard, severe, etc.) knock (informal)

to have an experience that makes sb/sth less confident or successful; to be harmed or damaged:

Confidence in the industry took a severe knock from the crisis.

Sales have taken a knock in recent months.

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