1
as in succumbs
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 surrenders
to yield to the control or power of enemy forces
the remote outpost was overrun and forced to knuckle under
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of knuckles under
Everyone, including the media, knuckles under.
—
Bill Goodykoontz, AZCentral.com, 24 Feb. 2026
Bill Goodykoontz, AZCentral.com, 24 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for knuckles under
Verb
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In the May 10 episode of Marshals, Kayce (Luke Grimes) and Cal (Logan Marshall-Green) lose another of their former Navy SEAL teammates, as Garrett (Riley Green) succumbs to his injuries from a fire.—
Julia Moore,
PEOPLE,
11 May 2026
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Inspired by a drawing made by his nephew, the work unfolds as a sequence of panels in which the titular child, Julian, succumbs to illness.—
Emilie Hardman,
JSTOR Daily,
6 May 2026
Verb
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Alex Murdaugh surrenders Murdaugh turned himself in at the Hampton County Detention Center.—
Marlene Lenthang,
ABC News,
14 May 2026
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Stray animals or surrenders will no longer be accepted at police stations in most cases, and neighborhood rescues are no longer an option for officers.—
Charlie De Mar,
CBS News,
12 May 2026
Verb
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Sure enough, when the latest round of vendor selection gets underway, the vendor submits their bid.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
17 May 2026
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Instead, the group submits invoices for services like marketing, for instance, to the TDC, which then pays the vendor directly.—
Sarah Perkel,
USA Today,
14 May 2026
Verb
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This day in sports history 1913 — Jim Thorpe gives up his track medals from the 1912 Olympic games as a result of his having been a professional.—
Assistant Sports Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Jan. 2026
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That extra pick could also be helpful if the Braves were to sign a free agent who turned down a qualifying offer from his former team, in which case the signing team gives up a draft pick to the team from which the player got the QO.—
David O'Brien,
New York Times,
11 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The mayor concedes some residents have concerns about the impact the gondola may have on the character of their quiet town.—
John Meyer,
Denver Post,
30 Apr. 2026
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Nationally, the left often concedes first in the name of pragmatism, while more conservative factions hold firm and extract concessions.—
Darius Khalil Gordon,
New York Daily News,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The documentary directed by Maxence Voiseux bows in the Directors’ Fortnight sidebar, alongside fictional titles including Butterfly Jam, Atonement, and Clarissa.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
13 May 2026
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The film bows in Berlin’s Perspectives section.—
Marta Balaga,
Variety,
13 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Knuckles under.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/knuckles%20under. Accessed 18 May. 2026.
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