KNUCKLE UNDER Synonyms: 54 Similar and Opposite Words

knuckle under

verb

Definition of knuckle under

as in to succumb

to cease resistance (as to another's arguments, demands, or control) encouraged her to stand firm and not knuckle under to political pressure

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to surrender

to yield to the control or power of enemy forces the remote outpost was overrun and forced to knuckle under

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of knuckle under Some owners show their mettle for a spell, then find adequate reason to knuckle under; others have no intention of even pretending to do what is hard or what is right. — David Remnick, New Yorker, 29 May 2026 Everyone, including the media, knuckles under. — Bill Goodykoontz, AZCentral.com, 24 Feb. 2026 That’s a clear message to others to get in line and knuckle under — or else. — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 14 Jan. 2026 How much of this is a bluff designed to get Senate Democrats to knuckle under and vote to reopen the government and how much of this is wishcasting by MAGA? — Chris Stirewalt, The Hill, 10 Oct. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for knuckle under

Verb

But microscopic skeletal details also revealed a decent percentage of these reptiles didn’t only succumb to the food chain.

— Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 20 Aug. 2026
The researchers said this means that the current controls by AI companies are prone to being disabled by misbehaving AI and at risk of succumbing to a blitz of AI attacks.

— Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of succumb

Verb

If Gluck has willingly conceded to the anti-erotic proclivities of his intended audience, Araki has, naturally, set out to defy them.

— Alexandra Schwartz, New Yorker, 21 Aug. 2026
Lewandowski drew a penalty conceded by Robin Jansson and converted from the spot to cap the scoring in the 68th minute.

— ABC News, ABC News, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of concede

Verb

Both men bowed their heads toward a Romanian-speaking interpreter who stood between them and translated the proceedings.

— Cora Engelbrecht, New Yorker, 24 Aug. 2026
The feature bowed at the Halloween box office in October 2020 and was based on his own 2017 short about a parking lot attendant haunted by a monster who emerges from touchscreen gagets.

— Aaron Couch, HollywoodReporter, 24 Aug. 2026