1
as in succumbing
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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in surrendering
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
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for knuckling under
Verb
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The man was pronounced dead at the hospital after succumbing to his injuries, according to police.—
Kelsey Brown,
San Antonio Express-News,
4 Jan. 2026 -
After temporarily succumbing to one of his deeply seductive illusions, the Big Other urges him to stop dreaming.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
18 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Lee was arrested after surrendering to authorities in December 2021.—
Grethel Aguila,
Miami Herald,
23 Jan. 2026
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One week earlier, Campbell had issues containing Chargers rushers, surrendering a sack and five pressures in the wild-card round.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
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In testimony Wednesday morning, Jaquez Lewis admitted to submitting the letters in the name of her former aides.—
Nick Coltrain,
Denver Post,
29 Jan. 2026
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The Oprah Winfrey Show aired through 2011, winning so many Daytime Emmy Awards that Winfrey decided to stop submitting herself and the show for consideration.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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One person who’s not giving up that information is Kylie Kelce, the Kansas City Chiefs tight end’s sister-in-law, who was questioned about the date of the big day in a recent interview.—
Hannah Dailey,
Billboard,
30 Jan. 2026
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The finale ended on that cliffhanger, with Simon giving up his anonymity as a superpowered person, as well as his successful acting career, all to save Trevor.—
Sydney Bucksbaum,
Entertainment Weekly,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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For anyone still soaking up the flavors of fresh peaches before giving in to pumpkin spice, check your produce drawer.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
3 Nov. 2025
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Amid all this, censors were sitting on Panahi’s script, only giving in after reformist newspapers took up his cause.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Ullmark last played for the Senators on December 27 and was pulled in the second period after conceding four goals in 14 shots against the Toronto Maple Leafs.—
Ben Church,
CNN Money,
9 Jan. 2026
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Matthew Potts, who endured a torrid return to the Test arena on Monday, conceding 58 runs in seven overs, saw his first three balls of the day struck for four.—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Heated Rivalry also makes a splash on the latest Top TV Songs list, bowing with three tunes in the top six.—
Kevin Rutherford,
Billboard,
23 Jan. 2026
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Congress needs to stop bowing to the king and serve the people they were elected to represent.—
DP Opinion,
Denver Post,
21 Jan. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Knuckling under.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/knuckling%20under. Accessed 31 Jan. 2026.
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