1
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
2
as in to surrender
to yield to the control or power of enemy forces
the remote outpost was overrun and forced to knuckle under
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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
Those that didn’t knuckle under — or otherwise incurred Trump’s wrath — got hit harder earlier this month.
—Paul Wiseman, Fortune, 30 Aug. 2025
The front lines of our legal edifice have been divided and conquered, with premier law firms knuckling under and meekly promising to shut up and work for Trump, while the Supreme Court carefully pulls its punches to avoid a showdown.
—Tom Rogers, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Apr. 2025
Of course, Cruz knuckled under a little while later.
—James Hohmann, Washington Post, 9 July 2024
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
Those that didn’t knuckle under — or otherwise incurred Trump’s wrath — got hit harder earlier this month.
—Paul Wiseman, Fortune, 30 Aug. 2025
The front lines of our legal edifice have been divided and conquered, with premier law firms knuckling under and meekly promising to shut up and work for Trump, while the Supreme Court carefully pulls its punches to avoid a showdown.
—Tom Rogers, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Apr. 2025
Of course, Cruz knuckled under a little while later.
—James Hohmann, Washington Post, 9 July 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for knuckle under
Verb
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How to Tackle Lawn Fungus Whether or not your lawn succumbs to a fungal disease is not entirely within your control.—
David Beaulieu,
The Spruce,
28 May 2026
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Yet succumbing to hubris is now more dangerous than ever.—
William Pesek,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
Verb
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Johnson’s second home run, his 14th of the season, came off UCLA star closer Easton Hawk, who had surrendered just three home runs this season.—
Mercury News staff,
Mercury News,
30 May 2026
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Sukhmati was one of those who surrendered, in October 2025, as the central government ramped up operations.—
Dhruv Tikekar,
CNN Money,
30 May 2026
Verb
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The deadline for town clerks to submit certified signatures is June 2, giving individual towns less than a month to collect and certify any new signatures sent in by Brensley’s or other affected campaigns and access the ballot.—
Tim Dunn,
Boston Herald,
31 May 2026
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Kim Creadick, Highlands Ranch To send a letter to the editor about this article, submit online or check out our guidelines for how to submit by email or mail.—
DP Opinion,
Denver Post,
31 May 2026
Verb
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Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, the only other major Republican candidate, had not yet conceded as of Thursday morning.—
Austin Turner,
CBS News,
4 June 2026
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Part of what fascinates and frustrates as regards Ginsberg is that for all of those thick anthologies, propriety forces me to concede that many of the poems simply aren’t that good.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 June 2026
Verb
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The owner, Kenneth Howell has been locked in an acrimonious battle with the city of Boise for years, after Boise staff raised concerns over temporary shoring posts bowing under the building’s weight and a crumbling facade, among other safety issues staff highlighted.—
Darin Oswald,
Idaho Statesman,
3 June 2026
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Target, too, recently found itself in the cultural crosshairs after bowing to external pressure to scrap its DEI policies.—
Jessica Guynn,
USA Today,
3 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Knuckle under.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/knuckle%20under. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
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