Definition

1. Verb (Transitive):

   • To stop doing something, to cease an activity: Used as an imperative to tell someone to stop a bothersome action.
   • To produce something, especially writing, quickly and with little effort: To compose or create something hastily.
   • To reduce the price of something: To lower the cost or value.
   • To steal something: To take something without permission.
   • To murder someone, especially to eliminate a threat: To kill, often in a criminal context.

2. Verb (Intransitive):

   • To finish work for the day: To stop working, typically at the end of a work shift.

Usage Examples

• Verb (Transitive - Stop):
  • The kids were making too much noise, so their mother told them to knock it off.
• Verb (Transitive - Produce quickly):
  • I need to knock off a quick email before the meeting.
• Verb (Transitive - Reduce price):
  • The store knocked 20% off all winter coats.
• Verb (Transitive - Steal):
  • Someone knocked off my bicycle from the rack.
• Verb (Transitive - Kill):
  • The gang was known to knock off anyone who talked to the police.
• Verb (Intransitive - Finish work):
  • Let's knock off early today and go for a drink.

Advanced Usage

• "to knock off for the day": To finish one's workday.
  • We usually knock off for the day around five o'clock.
• "to knock off a copy": To produce an imitation, often an inferior one.
  • The street vendor was selling watches that knocked off famous brands.

Variants and Related Words

• Knockoff (noun): An unauthorized copy or imitation, usually of a popular product.
  • That handbag is a cheap knockoff of a designer brand.

Synonyms

• Stop: Cease, discontinue, quit.
• Produce quickly: Dash off, jot down, scribble.
• Reduce price: Discount, mark down.
• Steal: Pilfer, pinch, snatch, filch.
• Kill: Liquidate, neutralize, eliminate, assassinate.
• Finish work: Clock out, leave, call it a day.

Related Phrasal Verbs

• Knock about/around: To wander or spend time idly; to discuss informally.
  • We spent the afternoon just knocking about the old town.
  • Let's knock that idea around for a while.
• Knock back: To drink quickly; to cost someone a lot of money; to shock or surprise.
  • He knocked back his beer in one gulp.
  • The car repairs really knocked me back.
• Knock down: To demolish; to reduce a price; (at an auction) to sell to the highest bidder.
  • They plan to knock down the old building.
  • I managed to knock him down to fifty dollars.

Related Idioms

• Knock someone's block off: To hit someone very hard (a threat).
  • If you don't leave my sister alone, I'll knock your block off!
• Knock it out of the park: To do something exceptionally well.
  • Her presentation was amazing; she really knocked it out of the park.
• Knock on wood: A superstitious phrase said to avoid bad luck after mentioning good fortune.
  • I haven't been sick all year, knock on wood.

Verb

1. stop pursuing or acting
   • drop a lawsuit
   • knock it off!
2. write quickly
   • She dashed off a note to her husband saying she would not be home for supper
   • He scratched off a thank-you note to the hostess
3. take by theft
   • Someone snitched my wallet!
4. cut the price of
5. get rid of (someone who may be a threat) by killing
   • The mafia liquidated the informer
   • the double agent was neutralized