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
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
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
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for knuckle under
Verb
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The explosion in the Lebanese capital, which killed more than 200 people and injured thousands, caused devastation to the building and its owners, with the matriarch of the family, 98-year-old Yvonne Sursock Cochrane, eventually succumbing to her injuries.—
Jacqui Palumbo,
CNN Money,
12 June 2025
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So far this year, one person — a 13-year-old boy — has died from subway surfing, succumbing to his injuries days after falling off the top of a No. 7 train in Queens.—
Evan Simko-Bednarski,
New York Daily News,
11 June 2025
Verb
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Pickard’s only goal surrendered was the one from Sam Reinhart that tied Game 4 with 19.5 seconds left in regulation to send it to overtime.—
David Furones,
Sun Sentinel,
14 June 2025
-
The club led 3-0 before surrendering a pair of late goals.—
Ryan Finley,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 June 2025
Verb
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Applications will be reviewed in the order they are submitted.—
Karen Garcia,
Los Angeles Times,
7 June 2025
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This year’s winners were selected from over 11,750 films submitted by more than 7,500 filmmakers across 158 countries and territories.—
Leia Mendoza,
Variety,
6 June 2025
Verb
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Both players were sloppy in the first set, conceding 21 break-point chances and making 48 unforced errors between them, with Sabalenka making 32 yet still winning the set.—
Jerome Pugmire,
Chicago Tribune,
7 June 2025
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However, after the first, Canady only conceded two hits and accumulated four strikeouts in the next four innings.—
Allison Smith,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2025
Verb
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The policy changes and enforcement actions were seen by critics as Columbia bowing to the administration’s demands, rather than standing up for the values of free speech and academic freedom.—
Dalia Faheid,
CNN Money,
5 June 2025
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Latest from Michael Hiltzik Voices Hiltzik: Target learns that bowing to anti-DEI backers can be costly, a lesson for those bowing to Trump Voices Hiltzik: AI ‘hallucinations’ are a growing problem for the legal profession Voices Hiltzik: Who’s responsible for the aviation mess?—
Michael Hiltzik,
Los Angeles Times,
29 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Knuckle under.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/knuckle%20under. Accessed 17 Jun. 2025.
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