knock out — 3 meanings

One phrase, 3 different jobs. Tap a meaning to jump to it — then lock each one in by saying it out loud.

phrasal verb3 meanings

1 make someone unconsciousTo hit someone so hard that they become unconscious, or to cause someone to become unconscious for a short time.
2 eliminate from a competitionTo defeat someone so that they can no longer continue in a competition or tournament.
3 impress greatlyTo amaze or impress someone very much, often by being unexpectedly good, beautiful, or effective.

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Ordered by how often you'll hear each one — the meaning tells you what it does, the examples and tips show it in use.

make someone unconscious

B1knock sb outMost common

To hit someone so hard that they become unconscious, or to cause someone to become unconscious for a short time.

The boxer knocked his opponent out in the second round.

A: What happened to your brother?
B: He fell off his bike and hit his head. It knocked him out for a few seconds.

During the match, one player was accidentally knocked out and had to be taken to the hospital for a check-up.

Common mistake

✗He was knocked out unconscious.

✓He was knocked out.

'Knock out' already means make unconscious — 'unconscious' is redundant.

Tell it apart

The boxer knocked him out.

made him unconscious

The boxer was knocked out of the tournament.

eliminated

Often used in sports like boxing, or in accidents when someone is hit on the head.'Pass out' means to faint by yourself, while 'knock out' means someone or something made you unconscious.

Often paired with

knock out

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eliminate from a competition

B2knock sb out of sth

To defeat someone so that they can no longer continue in a competition or tournament.

Our team was knocked out of the tournament in the semi-finals.

A: Did you hear about the chess competition?
B: Yeah, Sarah got knocked out in the first round.

If you lose in the early stages, you get knocked out and can't continue to the finals.

Common mistake

✗They were knocked out from the cup.

✓They were knocked out of the cup.

'Knocked out OF a competition', not 'from'.

Tell it apart

They were knocked out of the cup.

eliminated

The punch knocked him out.

made him unconscious

Commonly used in sports, games, or any kind of competition.'Knock out' means to remove someone from a competition, not just to beat them in one game.

Often paired with

knock out + of

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impress greatly

C1knock sb outspokeninformal

To amaze or impress someone very much, often by being unexpectedly good, beautiful, or effective.

The performance absolutely knocked me out—it was breathtaking from start to finish.

A: Did you see Maya's painting at the exhibition?
B: I did! It completely knocked me out. I had no idea she was so talented.

While many films are enjoyable, only a few truly knock audiences out with their originality and emotional impact.

Common mistake

✗The view knocked out me.

✓The view knocked me out.

With a pronoun, the object goes in the middle — 'knocked me out'.

Tell it apart

That meal knocked me out.

hugely impressed me

The punch knocked him out.

made him unconscious

This sense is informal and used to express strong admiration or amazement, especially in spoken English. Avoid it in formal writing or presentations.Unlike the B1 sense ('make someone unconscious'), this sense is figurative and means to impress or amaze someone. It does not involve physical action or competition, as in the B2 sense.

Often paired with

knock + out

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make someone unconscious eliminate from a competition impress greatly