knocking up

verb

present participle of knock up, British
as in waking
to cause to stop sleeping I asked the clerk at the hotel to knock me up at 7:00 a.m.

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of knocking up With 200 hp worth of empty space to play with before knocking up against the 600-hp V12 Verado, Mercury is dialing up the overall output of the V10 range by adding a new 425-hp variant as the flagship of the family. — New Atlas, 12 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for knocking up
  1. waking
  2. awakening
  3. awaking
Verb
  • Your body’s stress hormone peaks naturally about an hour after waking, and layering caffeine on top amplifies the spike.
    — Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Cortisol, the stress hormone, rises naturally after waking and peaks about an hour later.
    — Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of waking
Verb
  • This is why in my work, awakening yourself comes before awakening your relationships and your team.
    — Catherine Bell, Forbes.com, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Back in present day, John has managed to exhume Hal’s body and retrieve the decommissioned power ring, awakening the Halogram to get his help opening the lockbox in the storage unit.
    — Katie Campione, Deadline, 27 Sep. 2026
Definition of awakening
Verb
  • In Hocus Pocus, Dani, her older brother Max (Omri Katz) and his crush Allison (Vinessa Shaw) have to save the children of Salem, Massachusetts after accidentally awaking the witch Sanderson sisters from their 300-year slumber.
    — Glenn Garner, Deadline, 25 Oct. 2025
  • Tirso Ornelas’ seventh-inning grand slam triggered a late-game awaking as Triple-A El Paso beat host Sugar Land 13-2 on Wednesday.
    — Jeff Sanders, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Sep. 2025
Definition of awaking

Browse Nearby Words

knocking together
knocking up
knock off
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Knocking up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/knocking%20up. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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