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
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of knuckle under
Those that didn’t knuckle under — or otherwise incurred Trump’s wrath — got hit harder earlier this month.
—
Paul Wiseman, Fortune, 30 Aug. 2025
But in an era when entertainment companies, along with politicians and seemingly everyone else, race to knuckle under to Trump's bullying and litigious tactics, the episode is still a shock.
—Bill Goodykoontz, AZCentral.com, 24 July 2025
Over time, Congress knuckled under, banning Chinese and limiting Italians and Jews with country-of-origin quotas rigged against them.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 18 July 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
Biden is all too willing to knuckle under both to the environmentalists who want to stop any new conventional-energy development and to the labor bosses who don’t want to see the ports modernized and automated, which might eat into their discretionary funds.
—The Editors, National Review, 23 June 2022
Paul Wiseman, Fortune, 30 Aug. 2025
But in an era when entertainment companies, along with politicians and seemingly everyone else, race to knuckle under to Trump's bullying and litigious tactics, the episode is still a shock.
—Bill Goodykoontz, AZCentral.com, 24 July 2025
Over time, Congress knuckled under, banning Chinese and limiting Italians and Jews with country-of-origin quotas rigged against them.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 18 July 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
Biden is all too willing to knuckle under both to the environmentalists who want to stop any new conventional-energy development and to the labor bosses who don’t want to see the ports modernized and automated, which might eat into their discretionary funds.
—The Editors, National Review, 23 June 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for knuckle under
Verb
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Due to their high metabolism and sensitive respiratory system, these small, yellow songbirds succumbed to the invisible, odorless gas much faster than humans.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
13 Oct. 2025
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Shalanda Williams, 43, succumbed to her injuries after being transported to a local hospital, according to the MPD news release.—
Kimberlee Speakman,
PEOPLE,
11 Oct. 2025
Verb
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In a recent speech, Kim urged Washington to drop its demand for the North to surrender its nukes as a precondition for resuming diplomacy.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
12 Oct. 2025
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The 82 total yards the Broncos surrendered Sunday?—
Nick Kosmider,
New York Times,
12 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Online votes can be adjusted during the window; SMS votes are final once submitted.—
Amanda Castro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 Oct. 2025
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O’Connell has submitted a supplemental budget to the Metro Council for review, since the new sales tax funds weren’t anticipated in the original fiscal year 2025 budget.—
Austin Hornbostel,
Nashville Tennessean,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Their underlying numbers are equally compelling, conceding just five big chances on their goal.—
Holly Shand,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
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The doc feature records a news report on Taj Erlander, Swedish prime minister during much of Wallenberg’s imprisonment, admitting as much, conceding that his government had failed one of its greatest citizens by not pressing hard for his release.—
John Hopewell,
Variety,
15 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Deadline first reported the news that the package was hitting the market after Safdie and Johnson’s A24 pic The Smashing Machine bowed at the Venice Film Festival.—
Justin Kroll,
Deadline,
16 Oct. 2025
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The new episodes will bow in 2026.—
Michael Schneider,
Variety,
16 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Knuckle under.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/knuckle%20under. Accessed 19 Oct. 2025.
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