to knuckle under

Examples

• All

• 1. I tend to knuckle under to group pressure easily.

  Blog text (23)

• According to Slashdot, John Young, one of the pair of folks responsible for the site, refused to knuckle under in the face of an ultimatum from his ISP.

  Blog text (18)

• Are you suggesting that we should knuckle under?

  Von Ryan's Express (1965)

• Knuckle under, or we will take you down and ruin your career.

  Blog text (6)

• And they have said a hundred times they won't knuckle under to that.

  Path to War (2003)

• For his part, Connally told anyone who would listen that Canada had to knuckle under or else.

  Academic text (2004)

• I'd have to knuckle under or I'd be stuck on January thirteenth forever.

  Fiction book (2000)

• Smith refused to knuckle under or to be intimidated by the white mobs who threatened him.

  Academic text (2017)

• I admired her courage, her humor, her competitiveness, her brashness, and her refusal to knuckle under to what she believed to be wrong.

  Fiction book (1994)

• After much debate, the committee decided to knuckle under and approve the new regulations.

Synonyms

G

to give in

vsto knuckle under

220 3.0

To stop resisting and agree to what others want

is specifically about yielding to pressure or authority rather than choice

B

to bow

vsto knuckle under

127 6.3

To give in to another person's wishes or demands

stresses yielding to authority or pressure, often with reluctance

Y

to yield

vsto knuckle under

81 4.3

To stop resisting under pressure or force

is specifically about submitting to pressure or authority, often unwillingly

C

to cave

vsto knuckle under

• Informal

71 6.7

To give in to pressure or demands

is similar but emphasizes submission to authority rather than casual giving up

S

to succumb

vsto knuckle under

43 7.0

To accept something you tried to refuse

places more weight on pressure from authority rather than mere concession

C

to cave in

vsto knuckle under

• Informal

21 4.8

Give in to pressure or strong requests after resisting

is about submission to pressure or authority, often against will

C

to cave to

vsto knuckle under

• Informal

5 7.6

To give in to pressure or demands from others

focuses more on yielding to authority or pressure unwillingly

B

to buckle under

vsto knuckle under

2 6.7

To give in to pressure even though you do not want to

is about giving way to pressure or authority unwillingly

B

to buckle to

vsto knuckle under

2 8.4

To give in to pressure or criticism

emphasizes yielding to authority or pressure rather than just criticism

B

to bend the knee

vsto knuckle under

1 8.4

To show loyalty and obey a powerful person

is a general act of submission to pressure or authority, not only symbolic

B

to bend to someone's will

vsto knuckle under

7.1

To do what someone else wants even if you do not want to

is about submitting to authority or pressure rather than personal wishes

F

to fold like a cheap suit

vsto knuckle under

• Informal

9.6

To give in easily when under pressure

means submitting to pressure or authority, not implying ease or weakness

Antonyms

R

to resist

311 2.2

Act against authority, rules or change

D

to defy

178 3.7

Openly refuse to obey someone or seem to resist a force like time

How Submissive

to surrender

722 4.4

to capitulate

23 8.4

to knuckle under

• Informal

4 8.4

to give in

220 3.0

to relent

31 5.8

Surface Forms

Morphology

Etymology