Knock
Knock verb - To deliver a blow to (someone or something) usually in a strong vigorous manner.
Usage example: threatened to knock him upside the head if he didn't do as he was told
Tap is a synonym for knock in bang topic. In some cases you can use "Tap" instead the word "Knock" as a verb or a noun, when it comes to topics like action, strike, sound, hit. popular alternative
Tap
Tap verb - To strike or cause to strike lightly and usually rhythmically.
Usage example: kept tapping the desk with his pencil
Knock is a synonym for tap in impact topic. You can use "Knock" instead the word "Tap" as a verb or a noun, if it concerns topics such as hit, sharp stroke, loud noise, hit lightly. popular alternative
Mutual synonyms
How words are described
| gentle | gentle knock | gentle tap |
| short | short knock | short tap |
| single | single knock | single tap |
| simple | simple knock | simple tap |
| Other adjectives: sharp, small, little, secret. | ||
Common collocations
Both words in one sentence
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An episode of Smallville has Clark knock someone out with a literal tap on the head.
Source: Tap on the Head -
Tap on the Head: Martial arts move often used to knock Yoko unconscious (L'or du Rhin).
Source: Comic Book / Yoko Tsuno - He then asks him to knock him out with a Tap on the Head; he barely registers the hit but gets a bump, so he tells Spirou it'll do.
Source: Make It Look Like a Struggle
Cite this Source
Tap and Knock. (2016). Retrieved 2026, August 07, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/knock/tap
Knock & Tap. N.p., 2016. Web. 07 Aug. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/knock/tap>.
Tap or Knock. 2016. Accessed August 07, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/knock/tap.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "knock" and "tap" have occurred on timeline