KNOCKING (ABOUT) Synonyms: 28 Similar Words

knocking (about)

verb

present participle of knock (about)

as in wandering

to move about from place to place aimlessly we knocked about from town to town, looking for work

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for knocking (about)

Verb

More Phillies players and staff joined them, wandering around the field and the house from the movie for the next 40 minutes.

— Dan Hayes, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2026
The young mountain lion was spotted wandering along Foothill Boulevard between San Dimas Avenue and San Dimas Canyon Road in the morning, according to the San Dimas Sheriff’s Station.

— Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of wandering

Verb

Some of them, like the one I got stranded on, were full of green rolling hills, tall grasses that rustled in the wind, and wild goats and deer roaming free.

— Annie Daly, Vogue, 11 Aug. 2026
Rameez Ansar, Group CEO of Circles, which operates Jetpac Travel eSIM that reinvents roaming with global access, lower costs & smoother UX.

— Rameez Ansar, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of roaming

Verb

Satellite imagery shows a haze of wildfire smoke drifting from West Kalimantan into neighboring Malaysia on several days this month, according to BNPB.

— ABC News, ABC News, 11 Aug. 2026
On Tuesday the Bay Area Air District issued an air quality advisory for Tuesday and Wednesday due to smoke from the Timber Fire drifting into the region.

— Tim Fang, CBS News, 11 Aug. 2026

Definition of drifting

Verb

There’s a nice localised touch via a railway footbridge on the approach depicting the highs of Southampton’s football history and the delights of the city centre, particularly Oxford Street, can be enjoyed before strolling on to the match.

— Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 13 Aug. 2026
After virtually strolling through City in Belmira’s video model, some of its mysterious puzzle pieces do, gratifyingly, start to come together.

— Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of strolling

Verb

Blakely left her floor error behind her on vault, cruising through her easy Lopez vault.

— Caroline Price, Forbes.com, 9 Aug. 2026
The Caribbean is a region almost purpose-built for cruising—closely set islands that offer immense diversity in culture and history, each with their own siren lure.

— Scott Laird, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of cruising

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.

Browse Nearby Words

knocking

knocking (about)

knocking back

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Knocking (about).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/knocking%20%28about%29. Accessed 16 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of knocking (about)

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

zeugma

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Words of the Week - Aug. 14

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes