KNOCKS UP Synonyms: 22 Similar and Opposite Words

knocks up

verb

present tense third-person singular of knock up, British

as in wakes

to cause to stop sleeping I asked the clerk at the hotel to knock me up at 7:00 a.m.

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for knocks up

Verb

The speaker in Hirshfield’s poem wakes twice, inviting us to consider both a physical awakening and a spiritual one.

— The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 15 Oct. 2026
A couple in crisis wakes to find their apartment sealed off by a mysterious, unbreakable substance.

— K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of wakes

Verb

But when the 20-foot-tall creation awakens, his gentle nature clashes with the violent purpose he was built for.

— Jennifer Maas, Variety, 8 Oct. 2026
The 12-year-old student council member spoke about how the shofar, the ram’s horn blown during High Holy Days, awakens Jews to reflect on and reaffirm their beliefs.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of awakens

Verb

While preparing for a trip, he is rendered unconscious using knockout gas and awakes to find himself inside a perfect recreation of his own home, but this one is located in a mysterious settlement known as The Village.

— William Worrall, Space.com, 15 July 2026
Just at that moment, Jamie — our dream lover in every sense — awakes with a jolt.

— Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 17 Apr. 2026

Definition of awakes

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.

Cite this Entry

Style

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

Copy Citation

Synonyms of knocks up

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

compunction

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes