knock someone out of time

In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.

Meaning · English

To beat someone to the point where they are stunned and unable to fight back.

Register: dated, slang

Where it’s used: Used American English
Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “knock someone out of time” mean?

To beat someone to the point where they are stunned and unable to fight back.

Is “knock someone out of time” formal or informal?

knock someone out of time is generally dated, slang.