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
Verb
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Shepard uses her last ounce of strength to kill the final hitman before succumbing to her injuries.—
Bryan Alexander,
USA Today,
1 Apr. 2026 -
And the bumbling nature of Lesgate, with Jones playing the internal conflicts sharply, comes with succumbing to the horrid nature of what money can bring.—
David John Chávez,
Mercury News,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Tyler Unter threw five scoreless innings before surrendering a pair of runs in the sixth for Santa Margarita.—
Michael Huntley,
Oc Register,
28 Mar. 2026
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Murakami’s two walks came against Jacob Misiorowski, who struck out 11 while surrendering one run — a leadoff home run by Chase Meidroth — on two hits in five innings.—
LaMond Pope,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Even after submitting paperwork, applicants face long waits.—
Michelle Del Rey,
USA Today,
3 Apr. 2026
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Hernandez was put in charge of submitting the paperwork.—
Carol Marbin Miller,
Miami Herald,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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That the threshold, once determined, would enable Victor to keep the death at bay without giving up his powers.—
Nick Romano,
Entertainment Weekly,
3 Apr. 2026
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Beginning with the loss at Michigan State, the Illini lost four out of their next six, the defense giving up 89 points per game and tracking its worst efficiency numbers of the season on KenPom.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Another way parents unintentionally reinforce negative behavior is by giving in.—
Amy Morin,
Parents,
1 Apr. 2026
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Hollywood’s biggest stars gathered in Los Angeles on Sunday to honor some incredible movies and celebrate the power of film, while giving in to the fact that putting the world’s troubles aside, even for a night, is impossible.—
Alli Rosenbloom,
CNN Money,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The performance extended the club’s streak in MLS without conceding for 542 minutes, going back to last year — seven shy of the LAFC record set in 2024.—
Josh Gross,
Daily News,
5 Apr. 2026
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Real Madrid dropped further behind Barcelona after conceding in stoppage time.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Environmental groups that have held Toyota up for years as a laggard on EVs offered a much less charitable take, saying the Japanese manufacturer is simply bowing now to their years of pressure to urge them to press the gas on electric cars as the world's largest carmaker.—
Keith Laing,
USA Today,
28 Mar. 2026
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Food is prepared and offered; soju is poured; there’s bowing, candles, a special table and floor mat, and absolutely no shoes.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
21 Mar. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Knuckling under.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/knuckling%20under. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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