as in to buckle (down)
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Recent Examples of knuckle down
After a 3-1 defeat at Fulham in September, Howe pulled Isak aside and told him to knuckle down.
—
George Caulkin, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2025
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
George Caulkin, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2025
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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Watch Kimmel's hosting pitch in the clip above.—
Emlyn Travis,
Entertainment Weekly,
4 Mar. 2026
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Before Tuesday afternoon, how many times had big brother watched little brother pitch in the pro game?—
Justice delos Santos,
Mercury News,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
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But also, dig in to the story behind this restaurant.—
Sarah Blaskovich,
Dallas Morning News,
1 Mar. 2026
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For those considering fall planting, aim to dig in about 60 to 90 days before the first hard frost arrives.—
SJ McShane,
Martha Stewart,
26 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Knuckle down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/knuckle%20down. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.
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