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
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of knuckle under
Those that didn’t knuckle under — or otherwise incurred Trump’s wrath — got hit harder earlier this month.
—
Paul Wiseman, Fortune, 30 Aug. 2025
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
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
Paul Wiseman, Fortune, 30 Aug. 2025
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for knuckle under
Verb
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Here are some steps to prevent your team from succumbing to the sense of powerlessness associated with the Great Lock-In trend.—
Juliette Han,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
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And when Jîna succumbed to her injuries on September 16, the Shargh reporter Niloofar Hamedi defied orders to keep quiet and told the world about her death in a tweet.—
Fatemeh Jamalpour,
Literary Hub,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Authorities have not yet revealed the full details of how Robinson was detained, but multiple reports suggested that his father urged him to surrender after recognizing his son in the grainy surveillance footage released by police.—
Richard Hall,
Time,
14 Sep. 2025
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Once Bailey reached home, the official completion of a walk-off grand slam in the 10th inning, Bailey surrendered himself to the moment.—
Justice delos Santos,
Mercury News,
13 Sep. 2025
Verb
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In order to advance to the semifinalist round, brands had to submit clinical data backing up their claims.—
Megan McIntyre,
Allure,
16 Sep. 2025
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The proposal was submitted by Jay Butera, 67, a staunch climate advocate and investor who has held shares in Tesla since the company’s 2010 IPO.—
Amanda Gerut,
Fortune,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
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On the 18th hole of the final match, Nicklaus sank his par putt and then conceded Tony Jacklin’s short par putt, ensuring both the match and the Ryder Cup ended in a tie.—
Tim Corlett,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
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But Democrats have long conceded that the party needs a new vision after voters soundly rejected their presidential ticket last fall, and internal squabbles about the party’s future have spilled out into the public.—
Mabinty Quarshie,
The Washington Examiner,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The film bowed at SXSW in 2017.—
Etan Vlessing,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Sep. 2025
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Appearing on everything from duster coats to bow blouses to tailored trousers—here’s how to style checks for every occasion.—
Andrea Zendejas,
Vogue,
10 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Knuckle under.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/knuckle%20under. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
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