as in to buckle (down)
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Recent Examples of knuckle down
In survival mode, many brands have been forced to knuckle down and fortify their business strategies, in hopes of setting them up for success against a difficult backdrop.
—
Madeleine Schulz, Vogue, 10 Mar. 2026
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
Madeleine Schulz, Vogue, 10 Mar. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for knuckle down
Verb
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The project was selected for the AFM market pitch in 2020 but faced prolonged development setbacks during the pandemic, with casting remaining the central challenge.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
25 Mar. 2026
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The reality is that almost any pitch in deGrom’s arsenal could qualify for this list, but given the exceptionally high response rate for one in particular, his four-seam fastball is the winner.—
Shawn McFarland,
Dallas Morning News,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
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If and when a new CDC director nominee is named, and if that individual manages to win confirmation from a Senate that is showing itself increasingly willing to dig in its heels on presidential appointments, the hard work will just be starting.—
Helen Branswell,
STAT,
30 Mar. 2026
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Let’s dig in and take a closer look at the other important events on our radar.—
Zev Fima,
CNBC,
29 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Knuckle down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/knuckle%20down. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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