knock in

phrasal verb·1 sense·particle in

Meanings

1

Hit something so it goes into a surface

Why “in”? Walls close around something. What is in is held inside.

Knock the nails in firmly.
Hit the nails so they go firmly into the surface.
Knock the peg in with a hammer.
Hit the peg so it goes into the surface with a hammer.

Don't confuse with

knock inknock out

Knock in means hit something so it goes into a surface. Knock out means hit someone so they cannot stay awake.

Test yourself

Knock the nails in firmly. What does it mean?

Nearby in the meaning map

Sink In connects verbs by particle pattern, contrast pairs, and shared base verbs.

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