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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Almost 10 years after Jackie Collins succumbed to breast cancer at age 77, a Beverly Hills trophy estate best known as the longtime home of the bestselling British romance novelist and younger sister of actress Dame Joan Collins has popped up for sale with a substantial $66 million price tag.—
Wendy Bowman,
Robb Report,
30 Jan. 2025
-
Firefighters extricated the woman and transported her to the hospital, where she was treated but later succumbed to her injuries.—
Ryan Macasero,
The Mercury News,
27 Jan. 2025
Verb
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The purge intensified Monday when, according to the New York Times, former IG office staffers were directed to surrender to their agencies work laptops, phones, parking decals, and ID cards.—
Andrew C. McCarthy,
National Review,
1 Feb. 2025
-
District Attorney Tony Clayton told The Associated Press that the mother surrendered to police on Friday.—
SARA CLINE AND GEOFF MULVIHILL THE ASSOCIATED PRESS,
arkansasonline.com,
1 Feb. 2025
Verb
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The case has yet to be submitted to the Fort Bend County District Attorney’s Office.—
Christine Pelisek,
People.com,
7 Feb. 2025
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The following criteria has been established for the contest: Children who live in Savage, ages 5-12, can submit one name.—
Alex Malm,
Twin Cities,
7 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Jupiter tied the match at 1-1 on Hole 6 when Boston conceded a birdie, but went behind again on Hole 10 when Woods took too long to take a shot – the first shot clock violation in TGL history – and the resulting one-stroke penalty handed the point to the Common.—
Jamie Barton,
CNN,
28 Jan. 2025
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Americans went to the polls nearly three months ago, and unusually for our era, the presidential election was settled on Election Night and conceded the following day.—
Dan McLaughlin,
National Review,
25 Jan. 2025
Verb
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The people who are supposed to be her peers consistently bow down to her in admiration.—
Kathleen Newman-Bremang,
refinery29.com,
3 Feb. 2025
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In March, the products bow in La Rinascente and 10 Corso Como in Milan, Dover Street Parfum Market in Paris, among others, and Mecca in April across Australia and New Zealand.—
James Manso,
WWD,
3 Feb. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near knuckle under
Cite this Entry
“Knuckle under.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/knuckle%20under. Accessed 10 Feb. 2025.
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