catch a falling knife
To buy a financial instrument whose price is falling rapidly.
Buying that stock now would be catching a falling knife. Wait until you see capitulation.
ADJ
blunt, sharp | long | bone, bone-handled, silver, steel | bread, butcher's, carving, craft, fish, flick, hunting, kitchen, palette, pocket, sheath, Stanley(R), surgeon's, table
QUANT
set
My grandmother gave me a beautiful set of knives for my new apartment.
VERB + KNIFE
pick up
At dinner, he picked up his knife to cut the meat into smaller pieces.
lay down, put down
use
You should use a sharp knife when preparing vegetables for dinner.
sharpen | hold
KNIFE + VERB
cut
The old kitchen knife cuts through the bread easily now that it's been sharpened.
clatter
KNIFE + NOUN
blade, handle
PREP
with a/the ~
She spread butter on the bread with a sharp knife.
PHRASES
the blade of a knife, the handle of a knife, a knife and fork
ADJ
long, sharp
VERB + KNIFE
be armed with, carry, have
The security guard was armed with a knife and a radio.
brandish, wield
draw (out), produce, pull (out), take out
When the argument got heated, he drew a knife from his jacket pocket.
come at sb with, stab sb with, threaten sb with
The angry man came at the police officer with a kitchen knife.
plunge, push, put, stick
She stuck the knife into the roasted chicken to check if it was cooked through.
sharpen, whet
KNIFE + VERB
cut
clatter
The kitchen knife clattered across the counter when she dropped it while cooking dinner.
KNIFE + NOUN
attack
The victim suffered serious injuries during a knife attack outside the train station last night.
wound | blade
PREP
with a/the ~
PHRASES
the blade of a knife, the hilt of a knife, hold a knife against/at/to sb's throat, a knife in sb's heart
When the betrayal was revealed, she felt as though a knife was twisting in her heart.
put a knife to sb's throat
The robber put a knife to the shopkeeper's throat and demanded all the money from the register.