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
But in an era when entertainment companies, along with politicians and seemingly everyone else, race to knuckle under to Trump's bullying and litigious tactics, the episode is still a shock.
—
Bill Goodykoontz, AZCentral.com, 24 July 2025
Over time, Congress knuckled under, banning Chinese and limiting Italians and Jews with country-of-origin quotas rigged against them.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 18 July 2025
The front lines of our legal edifice have been divided and conquered, with premier law firms knuckling under and meekly promising to shut up and work for Trump, while the Supreme Court carefully pulls its punches to avoid a showdown.
—Tom Rogers, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Apr. 2025
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
Bill Goodykoontz, AZCentral.com, 24 July 2025
Over time, Congress knuckled under, banning Chinese and limiting Italians and Jews with country-of-origin quotas rigged against them.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 18 July 2025
The front lines of our legal edifice have been divided and conquered, with premier law firms knuckling under and meekly promising to shut up and work for Trump, while the Supreme Court carefully pulls its punches to avoid a showdown.
—Tom Rogers, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Apr. 2025
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for knuckle under
Verb
-
McKinley succumbed eight days later, and was succeeded by Theodore Roosevelt.—
Gabrielle Starr,
Boston Herald,
18 July 2025
-
If someone succumbs to the heat, promptly relocate them to a cool, shaded location.—
Bay Area Weather Report,
Mercury News,
16 July 2025
Verb
-
Warren then surrendered Ozzie Albies’ second three-run homer in as many days in the fourth.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
20 July 2025
-
Faced with no other option, the heartbroken family surrendered Draco to the Los Angeles County Department of Animal Care and Control (DACC), despite having loved and raised him for over five years.—
Tereza Shkurtaj,
People.com,
20 July 2025
Verb
-
With that filing, Duke must wait at least 120 days to submit a formal application for a certificate of public convenience and necessity.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
25 July 2025
-
You'll also be required to submit a request form to skip a payment.—
Jasmin Suknanan,
CNBC,
25 July 2025
Verb
-
But for the purpose of examining this objection fairly, let it be conceded, that the principle, claimed for its support, is established.—
Liz Tracey,
JSTOR Daily,
29 July 2025
-
Lana conceded Shasta’s behavioral issues, rooted in her trauma, were so severe that only a residential treatment program could save her.—
Lizz Schumer,
People.com,
29 July 2025
Verb
-
Numerous media companies have bowed to Trump or appeared to soften their adversarial stance.—
Charlie Warzel,
The Atlantic,
22 July 2025
-
Hall did not speak during his first court appearance Monday and kept his head bowed and his face hidden from view while remaining shackled and wearing a green vest mean to prevent him from harming himself.—
Jakob Rodgers,
Mercury News,
22 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Knuckle under.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/knuckle%20under. Accessed 3 Aug. 2025.
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