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
  • There have been some close calls, with the closest being a 75-74 defeat in Game 2 of last season’s opening round, a game where Golden State held multiple large leads before succumbing late to a Minnesota comeback.
    — Christian Babcock, Mercury News, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Walz ended his campaign for a third term in January after succumbing to scrutiny about systemic fraud uncovered in his state’s social services program.
    — Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of succumbing
Verb
  • Miami starter Sandy Alcantara (13-7) came in with a 20-inning scoreless streak and stretched it to 25 before surrendering the lone run in the sixth.
    — August 14, Miami Herald, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Orlando City’s Leagues Cup campaign came to an end Wednesday night, with Orlando winning the penalty shootout 5-3 against Atlético de San Luis after surrendering a 2-0 lead late in the game.
    — Kyle Foley, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of surrendering
Verb
  • The most likely outcomes in my mind are Makhachev controlling Garry for the majority of the fight and winning a clear decision, or perhaps submitting him.
    — Brett Appley, New York Times, 15 Aug. 2026
  • The putrid odors, insects and rodents coming from the millions of pounds of spoiled food have plagued surrounding neighborhoods, with residents submitting thousands of complaints to regulators.
    — Matthew Rodriguez, CBS News, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of submitting
Verb
  • In exchange for giving up most of what someone owns, filing Chapter 7 wipes out almost all debts and gives them a fresh financial start.
    — Jay L. Zagorsky, The Conversation, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Jose Altuve homered and had five RBIs, and the Houston Astros beat the Baltimore Orioles 15-8 despite giving up four home runs in the first inning.
    — Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of giving up
Verb
  • Cramer argued that Tuesday’s rally showed the cost of giving in to that pessimism.
    — Alexa LoMonaco, CNBC, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Members must be present at the meetings and have a record of giving in order to nominate a charity.
    — Francine Knowles, Chicago Tribune, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of giving in
Verb
  • But keeping their promotion rivals at bay most definitely was, Parkinson’s men conceding 24 times in those dozen games, 16 of which came on Welsh soil.
    — Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 15 Aug. 2026
  • The Bulls got on the scoreboard straight after halftime, ending New Zealand's streak without conceding at 124 minutes.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of conceding
Verb
  • At Night will have a North American premiere in Toronto after bowing in Locarno.
    — Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Dharmendra Pradhan announced his resignation on Saturday, bowing to mounting pressure after tens of thousands of students and supporters took to the streets demanding his removal and sweeping reforms to India’s examination system.
    — Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 25 July 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 20 Aug. 2026.

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