knock off
2 meanings
stop work, especially at the end of the day
What does "knock off" mean in this sense?
Examples
- We usually knock off at half five on Fridays.
- It was such a hot day that the boss let everyone knock off early.
- What time are you planning to knock off today?
How to use it
The most common pattern — use a specific time or general time reference after the phrasal verb to say when work ends.
The plumbers knocked off at four because they'd finished the job ahead of schedule.
Use 'early' or 'late' to describe knocking off at an unusual time relative to normal working hours.
The manager said we could knock off early if we hit our targets by three o'clock.
Adding a 'for' phrase specifies the reason or scope of the break from work.
It started raining heavily, so the construction crew knocked off for the day.
Use 'time to knock off' or 'ready to knock off' to signal that the moment to stop working has arrived.
Right, it's half five — time to knock off and head home.
A very common question form used to ask when someone finishes work.
What time do you usually knock off on a Thursday?
Common Collocations
Common Mistakes
In this sense, 'knock off' is intransitive — it never takes a direct object. Saying 'knock off the work' or 'knock off work' to mean stopping work sounds unnatural; just use 'knock off' alone or follow it with a time or manner adverbial.
'Clock off' suggests formally registering the end of a shift using a time-recording system, while 'knock off' is purely casual and implies no such system. They are not always interchangeable.
'Knock off' in this sense is informal and conversational — it would sound out of place in a professional email or report. Use 'finish work' or 'end the working day' in formal contexts instead.
Usage
This phrasal verb is informal and mainly used in British English spoken contexts. It would sound out of place in a formal email or professional report — use 'finish work' or 'end the working day' in those situations instead.
reduce a price by a certain amount
Sense 2: What does "knock sth off" mean?
Examples
- The seller knocked off €30 because the box was damaged.
- Could you knock a bit off the price if I pay in cash?
- They knocked ten percent off the total, which made it much more affordable.
How to use it
The most common pattern, where the amount being removed sits between 'knock' and 'off', and the price or total follows after 'off'.
The mechanic knocked £15 off the bill because the repair took longer than expected.
When the price or total is obvious from context, it can be left out after 'off'.
The seller could see I was hesitating, so she offered to knock a few pounds off.
When the amount is replaced by a pronoun, it must go between 'knock' and 'off' — it cannot follow 'off'.
The price seemed a little high, but he knocked it off without any argument.
The passive is natural when the focus is on the reduction itself rather than who made it, common in retail or service contexts.
Ten percent was knocked off the total because the delivery arrived two weeks late.
Modal verbs are very common with this phrasal verb, especially when making or asking about an offer.
Could you knock anything off the asking price if we paid upfront?
Common Collocations
Common Mistakes
The amount being discounted must go between 'knock' and 'off', or directly after 'off' — not at the very end of the sentence after the price noun.
This phrasal verb has several meanings. In this sense, there must always be an amount and a price-related word (like 'price', 'total', or 'bill') present or clearly implied. Without those, 'knock off' likely means something else entirely.
'Knock off' is informal and suits conversation, texts, or casual emails. In business correspondence or formal writing, use 'reduce by' or 'discount by' instead.
Usage
This is an informal, spoken expression most common in British English haggling or retail contexts. In formal writing or business correspondence, use 'reduce by' or 'discount by' instead.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 'knock off' British English? Would Americans understand it?
Yes, it's strongly associated with British English and is especially common in informal spoken contexts. American English speakers may understand it, but they would more naturally say 'clock out', 'get off work', or 'call it a day' themselves.
Does 'knock off' always mean stopping work? It seems to have other meanings.
Yes, 'knock off' has several different meanings in English. This entry covers only the sense of stopping work. The same form can mean other things depending on context, but those are handled separately on this platform.
Can I say 'I've been knocking off early all week' using the present perfect continuous?
It's possible, but it sounds slightly forced and is not a natural choice for most speakers. Simpler forms like 'I knocked off early every day this week' or 'I've been leaving early all week' are much more comfortable in everyday speech.
What kinds of people typically use 'knock off' in this sense?
It's most at home in working-class and trade contexts — builders, factory workers, and similar professions — but it's broadly understood across British English. Office workers use it too in casual conversation, though perhaps less frequently than those in manual trades.
Can I use 'knock off' to talk about stopping any activity, or only paid work?
It primarily refers to stopping work in the sense of a job or shift. While a speaker might use it loosely to mean stopping any demanding task, this is less common. For stopping a hobby or general activity, 'call it a day' or 'pack it in' would be more natural.
Is 'knock off' mainly British English? Would Americans say something different?
'Knock off' in this sense is more common in British English, and you'll hear it frequently in markets, shops, and everyday haggling in the UK. American English speakers are more likely to say 'take off' or 'cut' in the same situation, though they will understand 'knock off' without any difficulty.
Can I use 'knock off' in continuous tenses, like 'he is knocking off'?
It's best to avoid continuous forms with this sense. Because knocking off a price describes a single action or decision rather than an ongoing process, it feels unnatural to say 'he is knocking off £30'. Use simple tenses, conditionals, or modal verbs instead: 'he knocked off £30' or 'could you knock something off?'
Does 'knock off' always need a specific number or amount?
Not always — vague amounts like 'a bit', 'something', or 'a few pounds' work fine. What's important is that some reference to a reduction is present, even if it's not a precise figure. For example, 'Can you knock anything off?' is perfectly natural when the context makes clear you're talking about a price.
What kinds of things can you 'knock off'? Does it only work with prices?
It most naturally collocates with price-related nouns: the price, the total, the bill, the asking price, the cost, a percentage, or a specific sum of money. It can also apply to a debt or fee. You wouldn't use this sense with non-monetary things — that would pull it towards a different meaning entirely.
Is there a difference between 'knock off' and 'take off' when talking about prices?
'Take off' can also describe a price reduction and is slightly more neutral in tone — it can even appear in semi-formal contexts. 'Knock off' is more informal and often implies that the reduction came through negotiation, goodwill, or as compensation for a problem. Both are correct, but 'knock off' has a stronger sense of someone doing you a favour.
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