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
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Recent Examples of knuckle under
Of course, Cruz knuckled under a little while later.
—
James Hohmann, Washington Post, 9 July 2024
Miraculously, however, it is told in the voice of a musician, Rainy, a man who refuses to knuckle under and whose tones remain kind and more hopeful than despairing.
—Katherine A. Powers, Washington Post, 22 June 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
Please do not knuckle under.
—Abigail Van Buren, oregonlive, 25 Oct. 2021
His determination to hold on to his dignity, to not knuckle under, marked a pathway for our family to move forward, to expand on what he’d not been allowed to do.
—Deborah Johnson, The Christian Science Monitor, 13 Feb. 2023
As noted in this space in 2015, the company required participants in its Times Journeys program — pricey overseas trips guided by Times journalists — to knuckle under to an arbitration clause.
—Erik Wemple, Washington Post, 24 Dec. 2022
Europe’s governing parties can’t knuckle under to Russian blackmail and retain their democratic viability.
—Holman W. Jenkins, WSJ, 30 Aug. 2022
His bile aimed at the Sulzberger family stems above all from the paper’s coverage and criticism of him, its refusal to knuckle under.
—David Remnick, The New Yorker, 21 Dec. 2021
James Hohmann, Washington Post, 9 July 2024
Miraculously, however, it is told in the voice of a musician, Rainy, a man who refuses to knuckle under and whose tones remain kind and more hopeful than despairing.
—Katherine A. Powers, Washington Post, 22 June 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
Please do not knuckle under.
—Abigail Van Buren, oregonlive, 25 Oct. 2021
His determination to hold on to his dignity, to not knuckle under, marked a pathway for our family to move forward, to expand on what he’d not been allowed to do.
—Deborah Johnson, The Christian Science Monitor, 13 Feb. 2023
As noted in this space in 2015, the company required participants in its Times Journeys program — pricey overseas trips guided by Times journalists — to knuckle under to an arbitration clause.
—Erik Wemple, Washington Post, 24 Dec. 2022
Europe’s governing parties can’t knuckle under to Russian blackmail and retain their democratic viability.
—Holman W. Jenkins, WSJ, 30 Aug. 2022
His bile aimed at the Sulzberger family stems above all from the paper’s coverage and criticism of him, its refusal to knuckle under.
—David Remnick, The New Yorker, 21 Dec. 2021
Recent Examples of Synonyms for knuckle under
Verb
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Day 3, morning: A nation on edge, a family at ease The Sanders family never succumbed to negativity in the public throughout the historic slide and cruel prank.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
27 Apr. 2025
-
Firefighter Hoffman, succumbed to his injuries in the intensive care unit.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
27 Apr. 2025
Verb
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While it’s been relatively rare for charter schools in Fort Worth to surrender their charters, Rocketship Texas’ closure comes about a year after the closure of another local campus, for similar reasons.—
Silas Allen,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
25 Apr. 2025
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Several hours later, around 4:30 p.m., the suspect in the killing, 47-year-old Terrell Gibbs, contacted police and agreed to surrender, Sprecco said.—
Christian Martinez,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
24 Apr. 2025
Verb
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In one of the more shocking upsets in UFC title fight history, Pena submitted Nunes in the second round, ending the Brazilian’s title reign.—
Trent Reinsmith,
Forbes.com,
20 Apr. 2025
-
Anonymous tips can be submitted at ManateeCrimestoppers.com.—
Michael Moore Jr.,
Miami Herald,
20 Apr. 2025
Verb
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While results at the time tasted similar to the real thing, its inventors conceded that the texture didn’t quite work.—
Andrew Paul,
Popular Science,
24 Apr. 2025
-
Berlin has changed a lot since Soho House opened here, Bryan conceded, when asked how the organization keeps its cachet after all these years.—
Cathrin Schaer,
Footwear News,
23 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Worshippers clad in black bowed their heads in prayer and lit votive candles to commemorate the crucifixion of Jesus.—
Fatma Khaled,
Chicago Tribune,
18 Apr. 2025
-
Since Locarno, the film had its North American premiere at the Los Angeles Festival of Movies earlier this month, then bowed on the East Coast at New Directors/New Films.—
J. Kim Murphy,
Variety,
15 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Knuckle under.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/knuckle%20under. Accessed 1 May. 2025.
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