knock up

To make someone pregnant, often when the pregnancy was not planned.

• He knocked her up last summer.
• She said her boyfriend had knocked her up.
• He was afraid he might knock someone up.

How to use it: knock someone up (He knocked his girlfriend up before they finished school.)

Similar words: get pregnant, impregnate

Common phrases: knock someone up, knock her up

To make or put something together quickly, often without much care.

• I can knock up a quick lunch.
• He knocked up a wooden box for the tools.
• Could you knock something up before the meeting?

How to use it: knock something up (I knocked a small shelf up from spare wood.)

Similar words: throw together, make

Common phrases: knock up something, knock something up

To hit a tennis ball back and forth for practice before a match.

• The players knocked up before the match.
• We knocked up for five minutes to get used to the court.
• Would you like to knock up with me?

How to use it: knock up with someone (I knocked up with my opponent before the match.)

Similar words: warm up, practice

Common phrases: knock up together, knock up briefly

To wake someone, usually by knocking on their door or window.

• Please knock me up at six.
• Someone knocked her up by tapping on the bedroom window.
• The man used to knock factory workers up before their early shifts.

How to use it: knock someone up (The neighbor knocked us up before dawn.)

Similar words: wake, rouse

Common phrases: knock someone up, knock workers up

To tap a pile of paper so its edges line up, often when making a book.

• Knock up the sheets before binding them.
• She knocked the pages up against the edge of the table.
• The printer knocked up each pile so the edges were even.

How to use it: knock something up (The binder knocked the printed sheets up before trimming them.)

Similar words: jog, align

Common phrases: knock up sheets, knock paper up, knock up paper, knock sheets up