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knuckling under

verb

present participle of knuckle under
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

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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
  1. succumbing
  2. surrendering
  3. submitting
  4. giving up
  5. giving in
  6. conceding
  7. bowing
Verb
  • But rather than succumbing to any one style, Lam developed a unique voice shaped by surrealism, cubism and his heritage as the son of a Chinese immigrant father and a mixed-race mother.
    — Jane Wooldridge, Miami Herald, 24 Sep. 2026
  • The movie ends with Bryan successfully getting his package to the scientists working on a cure, but shortly thereafter succumbing to his infection, turning into an increasingly grotesque (though conflicted) monster and killing them all.
    — Joshua Rivera, Vulture, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of succumbing
Verb
  • Angels starting pitcher Reid Detmers lasted five innings, surrendering four runs and six hits while striking out five.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 20 Sep. 2026
  • Gang Green allowed the second-fewest yards in the NFL in Week 1, surrendering just 195.
    — Antwan Staley, New York Daily News, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of surrendering
Verb
  • On the flip side, some users note slower withdrawal processing times during peak sports seasons and occasional app lag when submitting last-minute picks before games kickoff.
    — OutKick, FOXNews.com, 24 Sep. 2026
  • One particularly big shift came around 2000, when about 280 colleges and universities allowed applicants to apply without submitting scores for the SAT or the ACT, another common standardized test.
    — Beth Kania-Gosche, The Conversation, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of submitting
Verb
  • Despite giving up two more homers, Blyleven was the winner when the Twins rallied in the eighth for a 6-5 victory.
    — Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2026
  • But because that would be booked through Booking’s services rather than directly with a hotel operator, the trade-off may be giving up hotel rewards points and elite-qualifying credit.
    — Rob Pegoraro, PC Magazine, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of giving up
Verb
  • Critical response was mixed with even the positive write-ups criticizing Beck for giving in to his most emotionally empty impulses.
    — Josephine Reisman, Vulture, 24 Sep. 2026
  • Petersen said at the time that the city was giving in to blackmail from the business community.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of giving in
Verb
  • As the plot progresses, there are constant digs at Google Maps and Apple Maps for conceding to Trump’s order.
    — Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Both those previous hammerings came out of the blue, just as Wrexham’s humbling in front of the live TV cameras happened off the back of conceding just one goal in their first three Championship away games this season.
    — Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of conceding
Verb
  • The film continues a strong bond between two-time Oscar winner Pitt and Paramount, with their survival thriller Heart of the Beast bowing next weekend.
    — Matt Grobar, Deadline, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Lance Oppenheim’s Primetime, starring Robert Pattinson, is set to open the Beyond Fest genre festival in Los Angeles after bowing in Venice.
    — Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of bowing
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

knuckling down (to)
knuckling under
knuckling under (to)
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Cite this Entry

“Knuckling under.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/knuckling%20under. Accessed 1 Oct. 2026.

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