knuckling under

verb

present participle of knuckle under
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
  1. succumbing
  2. surrendering
  3. submitting
  4. giving up
  5. giving in
  6. conceding
  7. bowing
Verb
  • At the time, despite receiving rave reviews, the Scottish actor was succumbing to complications from AIDS.
    — Payton Turkeltaub, Variety, 28 Sep. 2026
  • But rather than succumbing to any one style, Lam developed a unique voice shaped by surrealism, cubism and his heritage as the son of a Chinese immigrant father and a mixed-race mother.
    — Jane Wooldridge, Miami Herald, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of succumbing
Verb
  • That was Fred Claire personified, honest to the end, refusing to sacrifice his integrity, never surrendering his dignity.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026
  • The stock initially jumped on the news before surrendering most of those gains, creating what Cramer sees as a buying opportunity.
    — Alexa LoMonaco, CNBC, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of surrendering
Verb
  • The loneliness epidemic For young workers, the loneliness epidemic has meant building a career without face-to-face interactions, submitting resumes online blindly and typing up cover letters for nameless recruiters.
    — Joshua Hong, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Now, Carter is submitting a new appeal after Jane Doe fully recanted her claims last week.
    — Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of submitting
Verb
  • Irving has already outperformed his round 4/5 price tag and looks poised for a big game in Dallas, whose rush defense is giving up 150 yards per game and currently ranks 31st in the league.
    — Jonathan Rubin, Charlotte Observer, 7 Oct. 2026
  • And, yes, the Dodgers finally have a closer, Edwin Díaz entering the ninth and giving up a leadoff double to Ozzie Albies before retiring the next three hitters for the biggest save of his brief Dodgers career.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of giving up
Verb
  • Critical response was mixed with even the positive write-ups criticizing Beck for giving in to his most emotionally empty impulses.
    — Josephine Reisman, Vulture, 24 Sep. 2026
  • Petersen said at the time that the city was giving in to blackmail from the business community.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of giving in
Verb
  • The administration’s top economic officials are now conceding that favorable aggregate indicators are no easy answer to public anxiety.
    — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 3 Oct. 2026
  • The home team secures the victory when Phil Mickelson knocks one in the water at the par-3 16th hole, conceding his match to Francesco Molinari right on the tee box.
    — Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of conceding
Verb
  • The film continues a strong bond between two-time Oscar winner Pitt and Paramount, with their survival thriller Heart of the Beast bowing next weekend.
    — Matt Grobar, Deadline, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Lance Oppenheim’s Primetime, starring Robert Pattinson, is set to open the Beyond Fest genre festival in Los Angeles after bowing in Venice.
    — Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of bowing
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

knuckling down (to)
knuckling under
knuckling under (to)
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Cite this Entry

“Knuckling under.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/knuckling%20under. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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