knock the daylights out of
Beat someone senseless
To knock the daylights out of someone is to beat them severely, to hit with overwhelming force: The boxer knocked the daylights out of his opponent in the third round.
The phrase extends to decisive victories of any kind: Our team knocked the daylights out of them.
Daylights here is an old expression for vital innards or senses—knocking them out leaves nothing functioning.
- smackdownDecisive, humiliating defeat
- pummelStrike repeatedly with fists
- knock someone's block offHit forcefully in anger
- dominateControl through superior strength
- thrashBeat violently or defeat utterly
wallop · stun · drub · batter · beat to a pulp · maul · clobber · beat · annihilate · hammer · beat the stuffing out of · obliterate · strike · punch · unsettle · overwhelm · hit · clean someone's clock