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Definition of kayo

kayo

/ˈkeɪ.oʊ/
kay · o
Plural:kayoes
•
Past Simple:kayoed
•
Past Participle:kayoed
•
Present Participle:kayoing
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kayo Lexical Profile

kayo Game Scores & Validity

• noun

1

North American A knockout in boxing or other combat sports, or a decisive defeat.

Example

"The challenger won the championship title with a stunning third-round kayo."

Synonyms
View all synonyms for kayo

• verb

1

North American To knock out an opponent in boxing, or to overwhelm and defeat someone or something decisively.

Example

"Unexpectedly high production costs threatened to kayo the entire film project before shooting began."

Synonyms
View all synonyms for kayo

• Rhymes for kayo

• Nearby Words

kayak
kayaker
kayaking
kayo
kazakhstan
kazakhstani
kazan

Word Origin & Etymology

Coined in early 20th-century American sports journalism as a phonetic spelling of the boxing abbreviation 'K.O.' (short for 'knockout').

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Kayo. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 3, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/kayo
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