knock off
- 01 B1 Intermediate
to stop working at the end of the day.
to cease work or other activity, typically at the end of a shift or workday.
Simple“We usually knock off at five o'clock on Fridays to beat the traffic.”
In context“The construction crew decided to knock off early due to the torrential rain, as the site had become too hazardous for heavy machinery.”
- 02 B1 Intermediate
to stop doing something annoying or unnecessary.
to desist from a specific action or behaviour, often used as an imperative.
Simple“Knock off that noise; I am trying to concentrate on my homework.”
In context“The teacher told the students to knock off the chatter and focus on the examination papers in front of them.”
- 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
to reduce a price or an amount by a certain value.
to deduct an amount from a total price or estimate.
Simple“The manager knocked off ten dollars because the box was slightly damaged.”
In context“If we pay the full amount in cash today, the dealer might knock off a few hundred pounds from the final asking price.”
- 04 B2 Upper Intermediate
to make a cheap or illegal copy of a popular product.
to produce a cheap or unauthorised copy of a trademarked or branded product.
Simple“It is easy to find street vendors who knock off expensive designer handbags.”
In context“The fashion house sued the retailer for attempting to knock off their signature summer dress design using inferior materials.”
Synonyms - 05 C1 Advanced
to finish a task quickly and without much effort.
to produce or accomplish something hastily or with little effort.
Simple“I can knock off this report in about twenty minutes.”
In context“He managed to knock off three articles before lunch, though the quality of the prose suffered from the lack of revision.”
Synonymsdash offwhip up - 06 C2 Proficiency
contrast with 'knock down' (lower prices) and 'knock out' (defeat or remove completely); 'knock off' is more about cessation or partial reduction.
In the verb sense of stopping work, said to be from the practice aboard slave galleys to have a man beat time for the rowers by knocking on a block or drum; when he stopped, the rowers could rest.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.