knock off

verb

1. informal,  (intr, also preposition) to finish work

   we knocked off an hour early

2. informal,  (tr) to make or do hastily or easily

   to knock off a novel in a week

3. informal,  (tr; also preposition) to reduce the price of (an article) by (a stated amount)

4. slang,  (tr) to kill

5. slang,  (tr) to rob or steal

   to knock off a bank

   to knock off a watch

6. slang,  (tr) to stop doing something, used as a command

   knock it off!

7. slang,  (tr) to have sexual intercourse with; to seduce

noun

1. informal

   1. an illegal imitation of a well-known product

   2. ( as modifier )

      knockoff watches

Idioms and Phrases

Take a break or rest from, stop, especially quit working. For example, He knocked off work at noon , or Let's knock off at five o'clock . [ Colloquial ; mid-1600s] Also see knock it off .

Also, knock out . Dispose of or produce easily or hastily, finish, as in A writer of detective novels, he knocks off a book a year , or We can knock out a rough drawing in a few minutes . The first colloquial usage dates from the early 1800s, the variant from the mid-1800s.

Get rid of, reduce, as in She knocked off twelve pounds in a month , or They knocked off one-third of the original price . [ Colloquial ; early 1800s]

Kill, murder, as in They decided to knock off the old lady . [ Slang ; early 1900s] Also see knock someone's block off .

Copy or imitate, especially without permission, as in They are knocking off designer Swiss watches and selling them for a few dollars . [ Colloquial ; late 1800s]

Hold up, rob, as in The gang knocked off two liquor stores in half an hour . [ Slang ; early 1900s] Also see knock the socks off .

Example Sentences

Defeat at Edgbaston would have ended their chances of making the top three but after restricting Phoenix to 138-9, they knocked off the runs with 11 balls to spare.

From BBC

“You can see some of the rust starting to get knocked off now,” Riley said of his top wideout.

From Los Angeles Times

They are the team the others have to knock off that pedestal.

From BBC

Muncy did have some rust to knock off, going hitless in three at-bats with a walk and strikeout in his first game back Monday night against crafty Cardinals right-hander Sonny Gray.

From Los Angeles Times

While the pitch was not straightforward to bat on, Invincibles knocked off the runs with 31 balls to spare, starting their title defence with a very convincing victory.

From BBC

Related Words

• dispatch 
• dispose of 
• eliminate 
• snuff out 
• whack