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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for knuckle down
Verb
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Times have changed since Millennials were little and neighborhoods had lots more stay-at-home moms available to pitch in.—
Olga Khazan,
The Atlantic,
7 Nov. 2025
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Relief pitcher Alex Vesia stepped away from the team shortly before the World Series started and did not return to pitch in any of the games.—
Chantz Martin,
FOXNews.com,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Slice into wedges, or set out a pile of spoons and let everybody dig in.—
Katlyn Moncada,
Better Homes & Gardens,
10 Nov. 2025
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The proposal also came days after Democrats saw massive wins at the ballot box, opening up a fissure for Republicans and encouraging the minority party to dig in.—
Al Weaver,
The Hill,
7 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Knuckle down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/knuckle%20down. Accessed 16 Nov. 2025.
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