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

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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

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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

Rejecting Question Three would send a powerful signal that not every American is ready to succumb to cynicism and propagate the worst parts of our political culture.

— Colin Pascal, Washington Post, 2 Oct. 2026
Moore succumbed to his injuries at a local hospital later in the morning.

— Jessie DiMartino, ABC News, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of succumb

Verb

Lefty Tanner Scott, whom Roberts plans to use in a fireman role, surrendered a two-run homer to Ozzie Albies in the ninth.

— Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2026
As part of the plea deal this week, Evans agreed to surrender his law enforcement officer license, court records show.

— Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of surrender

Verb

Children today are growing up around AI, robots and devices that once belonged to science fiction, and Yoshida concedes that reality has, in some ways, caught up with Doraemon’s gadgets.

— Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 1 Oct. 2026
The network apologized; Rather defended the report initially but conceded after several weeks that the materials should not have been used.

— Walter Podrazik, The Conversation, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of concede

Verb

The YouTube exec was joined on stage by Gianluca Curti, CEO of Italian indie film studio Minerva Pictures, who discussed plans to continue building a slate of feature films that will bow on YouTube.

— Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 29 Sep. 2026
Beabadoobee scored her first Top 10 album with Pylon, which bows at Number Seven.

— Althea Legaspi, Rolling Stone, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of bow

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“Knuckle under.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/knuckle%20under. Accessed 5 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of knuckle under

verb

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