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
-
Those two have scheduled meet and greets, but other characters like The Invisible Man and Ygor roam throughout Dark Universe.—
Eve Chen,
USA Today,
26 May 2025
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Forbes is protected by reCAPTCHA, and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Also known as the Siberian tiger, the Amur tiger is the largest living cat in the world and primarily roams the Russian Far East, with a few straying into northeastern China.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
24 May 2025
Adjective
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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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Across the street, walking to their apartments, Marta Becerra, 50, and Margarita Mota, 60, said people from the parking structure had wandered into their apartment complex, stealing bicycles and other items from people’s porches.—
Ruben Vives,
Los Angeles Times,
30 May 2025
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Any Colorado wolves that wander into Utah, New Mexico or Arizona will be retrieved and brought back to the Centennial State, under agreements state wildlife officials inked with those neighboring states.—
Elise Schmelzer,
Denver Post,
28 May 2025
Adjective
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Even amid the more boisterous parts of the track, the speakers pick out the subtleties.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
27 May 2025
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Elizabeth is friendly and warm, but not as boisterous as Olivia.—
Alan Sepinwall,
Rolling Stone,
26 May 2025
Verb
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The film, so enjoyably wacky at first, deflates and drifts to a stop like one of its showboat cars running on empty.—
Stephanie Bunbury,
Deadline,
23 May 2025
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The student wasn’t hurt, but the boat started drifting.—
Susan DeGrane,
Chicago Tribune,
23 May 2025
Adjective
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Thus began a lively rivalry with Lee, who quickly learned Clemens possesses a killer serve.—
Dan Hayes,
New York Times,
30 May 2025
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In lieu of bunking in the 4,000-square-foot Lord House, built in 1962 just off of Mulholland Drive, rent it out by the hour and host a lively pool party.—
Kristine Hansen,
Architectural Digest,
30 May 2025
Verb
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So, waders are people who just stroll through and say, ‘Oh, this is nice.—
Eve Chen,
USA Today,
23 May 2025
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In what has become a familiar sight on the Croisette, Belgian directors Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne strolled up the red carpet to present their new film to a welcoming crowd.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
23 May 2025
Adjective
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While generating political polemics, Sunday’s vote has not triggered the raucous street rallies that generally accompany Mexican balloting.—
Patrick J. McDonnell,
Los Angeles Times,
31 May 2025
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The 16th annual Big Slick weekend publicly kicked off at The K with a raucous celebrity softball game, led by hosts Paul Rudd, Rob Riggle, Jason Sudeikis, Eric Stonestreet, David Koechner and Heidi Gardner — plus all of their closest friends.—
Ramal Nasim,
Kansas City Star,
31 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Knock (about).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/knock%20%28about%29. Accessed 5 Jun. 2025.
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