as in to buckle (down)
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Recent Examples of knuckle down
One teacher remembered him as an unspectacular student, more focused on making his cohort laugh than knuckling down.
—
Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 24 Apr. 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
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
Rooney knuckled down and was United’s best player for the first half of the following season.
—Daniel Taylor, The Athletic, 29 Dec. 2024
But the actor only ever knuckles down at being loathsome.
—Glenn Kenny, New York Times, 13 Dec. 2024
Chelsea have had to knuckle down to beat United before.
—Jessy Parker Humphreys, The Athletic, 24 Nov. 2024
Eddie Howe’s arrival as manager and a positional change helped, as did a willingness to knuckle down.
—Nancy Froston, The Athletic, 20 Aug. 2024
On the Tuesday after Labor Day weekend 2019, Scott Jones did his usual morning chore of dropping his eldest kids off at school and returning to his Arizona home office to knuckle down to work.
—Michael Dorgan, Fox News, 17 June 2024
Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 24 Apr. 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
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
Rooney knuckled down and was United’s best player for the first half of the following season.
—Daniel Taylor, The Athletic, 29 Dec. 2024
But the actor only ever knuckles down at being loathsome.
—Glenn Kenny, New York Times, 13 Dec. 2024
Chelsea have had to knuckle down to beat United before.
—Jessy Parker Humphreys, The Athletic, 24 Nov. 2024
Eddie Howe’s arrival as manager and a positional change helped, as did a willingness to knuckle down.
—Nancy Froston, The Athletic, 20 Aug. 2024
On the Tuesday after Labor Day weekend 2019, Scott Jones did his usual morning chore of dropping his eldest kids off at school and returning to his Arizona home office to knuckle down to work.
—Michael Dorgan, Fox News, 17 June 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for knuckle down
Verb
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The announcement was made two weeks after Schmidt threw 103 pitches in seven hitless innings against the Baltimore Orioles.—
Larry Fleisher,
Forbes.com,
6 July 2025
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Home plate umpire John Bacon appeared to miss two pitches in that at-bat, which miffed Mendoza, who erupted out of the dugout, kicked some dirt and was quickly ejected.—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
6 July 2025
Verb
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There are additional wooden tables below on a narrow stretch of beach, where the children in our party enjoyed digging in the sand for shells and other treasures.—
Libby Monteith Minor,
Southern Living,
28 June 2025
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National reporters and true crime junkies dug in, while local officials — already lacquered in scandal — looked so crooked a frame job seemed not just possible but probable.—
Tom Blakely,
Boston Herald,
27 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Knuckle down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/knuckle%20down. Accessed 13 Jul. 2025.
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