as in to buckle (down)
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Recent Examples of knuckle down
Teams will use the five-week gap between the races in Japan and Miami to knuckle down at their factories and develop car upgrades that could boost their fortunes upon returning to the track in May.
—
Luke Smith, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2026
In survival mode, many brands have been forced to knuckle down and fortify their business strategies, in hopes of setting them up for success against a difficult backdrop.
—Madeleine Schulz, Vogue, 10 Mar. 2026
European countries need to knuckle down and increase their military capabilities while Russia is still dedicating a chunk of its forces to its invasion of Ukraine, Sweden's defense minister has said.
—Ellie Cook — Reporting From Prague, Czech Republic, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Sep. 2025
There is every chance Pepi may decide to knuckle down and keep pushing De Jong, as PSV chase a successful defense of their title and progress in the Champions League.
—Jeff Rueter, The Athletic, 14 Jan. 2025
Bunnie is knuckling down to help women escaping domestic violence.
—Lars Brandle, Billboard, 3 Sep. 2019
Luke Smith, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2026
In survival mode, many brands have been forced to knuckle down and fortify their business strategies, in hopes of setting them up for success against a difficult backdrop.
—Madeleine Schulz, Vogue, 10 Mar. 2026
European countries need to knuckle down and increase their military capabilities while Russia is still dedicating a chunk of its forces to its invasion of Ukraine, Sweden's defense minister has said.
—Ellie Cook — Reporting From Prague, Czech Republic, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Sep. 2025
There is every chance Pepi may decide to knuckle down and keep pushing De Jong, as PSV chase a successful defense of their title and progress in the Champions League.
—Jeff Rueter, The Athletic, 14 Jan. 2025
Bunnie is knuckling down to help women escaping domestic violence.
—Lars Brandle, Billboard, 3 Sep. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for knuckle down
Verb
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Stoudt pitched for the Reds in 2023, but hasn’t pitched in the majors since then.—
C. Trent Rosecrans,
New York Times,
15 Apr. 2026
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De los Santos took the place of Jake Bird, who was optioned on Monday night, and totaled three hits, one earned run — a homer to Yoán Moncada — two walks and one strikeout over two innings and 44 pitches in the Yankees’ 7-1 loss to the Angels on Tuesday.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
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After the truck discovery, a grand jury authorized more than 300 subpoenas and search warrants, allowing the task force to dig in to Heuermann’s life.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
8 Apr. 2026
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Quick bites → This 10-pound Easter treat comes with a hefty price tag and a surprising way to dig in.—
Staff,
FOXNews.com,
2 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Knuckle down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/knuckle%20down. Accessed 20 Apr. 2026.
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