knock down — demolish (a building or structure)
phrasal verbB1IELTS 5+neutralcommon
To destroy a building or structure so that it falls to the ground.
Say it like a native
Textbook They intend to demolish the old factory.
Native They're going to knock down the old factory.
'Knock down' is the everyday verb for demolishing a building. 'Demolish' is fine but more formal/technical.
Pattern: knock down [object]
In use
- They knocked down the old cinema to build a new shopping center.daily life
- In my hometown, many old buildings have been knocked down to make space for modern apartments.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ The old house was knocked down to the ground.
✓ The old house was knocked down.
'Knock down' already means flatten — 'to the ground' is redundant.
Common collocations
knock down— the wall, the building, the old house, the garage
Don't confuse it
'Knock down' focuses on making something fall, while 'break down' can mean to separate into pieces or stop working.
Related
- knock down (hit and make fall) — Another meaning of 'knock down' is 'hit and make fall'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.