To assail politically in an underhand way.
1888. This threat to knife any other candidate is based on the highest authority.—N.Y. Evening Post, Feb. 24 (Farmer).
1892. The idea is to knife Moise for Congress.—Boston Journal, Nov. 5. (N.E.D.)
1909. [Mr. Hughes] thrives on ambuscades, pitfalls, and knifings. When the bosses call him dead, he begins to feel how young he is.—N.Y. Evening Post, April 15.
1909. Whether or not Hearst met Murphy, whether or not Gaynor met McCarren—one thing stands out quite clearly in this unparalleled campaign of secret meetings and dealings and knifings, and that is that there is one man running for the office of Mayor of New York city whom no one has accused, or can accuse, of having met anybody, bargained with anybody, or knifed anybody in order to put himself into office.—Id., Oct. 28.
