as in to roam
to move about from place to place aimlessly
we knocked about from town to town, looking for work
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
as in rollicking
being rough or noisy in a high-spirited way
a knockabout game of football in the mud
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in gypsy
a person who roams about without a fixed route or destination
the book is one writer's journey of self-discovery as a restless knockabout
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of knock (about)
Jeannette Catsoulis, New York Times, 19 Jan. 2017
Adjective
Though thematically vague, thinly plotted and without a reliably sympathetic soul to cling to, the movie has a mutinous energy and an absurd, knockabout charm; even its violence is more quirky than brutal.
—Jeannette Catsoulis, New York Times, 19 Jan. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for knock (about)
Verb
-
Such broad, open spaces were essential to the origins of the giant sloths, and so creating wide-open spaces helps spur the evolution of giants to roam such environments.—
Riley Black,
Smithsonian Magazine,
11 July 2025
-
Norway is home to an embarrassment of perspective-altering landscapes—craggy mountains, beautiful fjords, and dramatic coastlines—making roaming outdoors all the more rewarding.—
AFAR Media,
AFAR Media,
10 July 2025
Adjective
-
Joy’s jazzy, smoky version of the Marvin Gaye classic, coupled with her velvety vocals, sparked another rollicking ovation led by John who was the first to stand up.—
Gail Mitchell,
Billboard,
4 Feb. 2023
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His setlist, a rollicking walk-down-memory-lane of solo hits, NKOTB favorites, standards, show tunes and cover songs, showcased his range as an entertainer, musical virtuoso and keen collaborator.—
Sonal Dutt,
Peoplemag,
23 Jan. 2023
Verb
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The shelter added that Captain ended up at Bentonville after a woman found the dog wandering near a road while traveling in Missouri.—
Moná Thomas,
People.com,
5 July 2025
-
Read a book, breathe deeply or just let your mind wander.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
5 July 2025
Adjective
-
Keys’ exit left just one of the top six women in the bracket before the end of Week 1: No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, who stuck around by claiming the last five games and defeating 2021 U.S. Open champion Emma Raducanu of Britain 7-6 (6), 6-4 at a boisterous Centre Court at night.—
Howard Fendrich,
Baltimore Sun,
4 July 2025
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But analysts have said a key factor also has been growing international protest against the brand because of Musk’s affiliation with the Trump administration and his boisterous leadership of its budget-cutting Department of Government Efficiency.—
Karoline Leonard,
Austin American Statesman,
2 July 2025
Verb
-
Meanwhile, much of the Upper Midwest on Saturday was dealing with swaths of unhealthy air because of drifting smoke from Canadian wildfire.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
12 July 2025
-
But while Carreras had much of the left flank to himself at Benfica, things will be more congested at Madrid, with Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappe often drifting over to that side in search of the ball.—
Thom Harris,
New York Times,
11 July 2025
Adjective
-
In February, a lively and well-attended protest march took over the streets of downtown McAllen; a news site compared it to a celebration after a high-school-football victory.—
Rachel Monroe,
New Yorker,
7 July 2025
-
The nightlife scene is surprisingly buzzy, with local favorites such as the Silver Dollar Bar and Saloon and the iconic Million Dollar Cowboy Bar offering live music and a lively crowd.—
Lauren Dana Ellman,
Travel + Leisure,
5 July 2025
Verb
-
Iris Delgado, 33, has strolled the Home Depot parking lot nearly every day with a cart of water bottles for day laborers and a cellphone to occasionally livestream.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
11 July 2025
-
The former couple and their daughter Daisy, along with Flynn, enjoyed a day on the water, later strolling through a coastal town.—
Hannah Sacks,
People.com,
9 July 2025
Adjective
-
Reporters were not allowed to attend the meeting, but the raucous crowd could be heard from outside.—
Vanessa Romo,
NPR,
7 July 2025
-
Johnson was then lauded with the award statuette, to another round of raucous applause.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
6 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Knock (about).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/knock%20%28about%29. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.
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