to their knees
10
7.2
- idiom
- Informal
- An occupying force can be brought to its knees, if you have the will and the drive to fight.
- fall to their knees
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Watch on YouTubeIf it says keto on the front, many people immediately drop to their knees and worship the keto product.
- If it says keto on the front, many people immediately drop to their knees and worship the keto product.
- It's, it's got the ability to bring the strongest men to their knees.
- But she's such a badass that that that that the men all fall to their knees weeping.
- Imagine having bloodless wars where you just fatigue your enemy and they and they drop to their knees.
Examples
-
Once the transformation was complete, Casimir folded to his knees on the spongy grass.
Fiction book (1992) -
"Mother!" Brianna dropped to her knees beside the crouching figure, chafing one of the limp hands.
Fiction book (1992) -
New York City has been brought to its knees by the events of the past week.
-
It is killing jobs and it is bringing this country to its knees.
-
He fell to his knees and pleaded for his life, but I was implacable.
-
As the girl watched, he slumped to his knees and vomited into a ditch.
Fiction book (1990) -
Even as he realized it, the pain overwhelmed him, and he dropped to his knees, disoriented and wheezing.
Fiction book (1990) -
Several of the oldest Foleys assume the worst and drop weeping to their knees in the churchyard.
Fiction book (1992) -
Bidet Mulligan, Biddie Mulligan, the pride of the Coombe, brought to her knees, abased.
Fiction book (1991) -
The recent economic crisis has brought many businesses to their knees.
Synonyms
16
6.5
To make a person, company or system stop working
4
6.7
To give in to pressure even though you do not want to
2
8.4
To show loyalty and obey a powerful person
1
8.2
To make someone very weak and unable to fight back
1
6.5
Very tired and weighed down by too much work or worry
Antonyms
- Informal
1
3.7
To recover after illness, money problems, or other setbacks
How Defeated
Surface Forms
Morphology
to + their + knee
The phrase uses the literal image of kneeling (knee) to convey submission, defeat, or incapacity, a metaphorical mapping that learners who know 'to', 'their' and 'knee' can plausibly infer. However, the shift from physical posture to the abstract states of being weakened or forced to submit is metaphorical and context-dependent, so the meaning is only partially predictable rather than fully compositional.
Etymology
To their knees comes from the clear image of people falling down and resting on their knees, often kneeling in surrender or because they have no strength left. So, saying someone is brought to their knees means they are 'weakened', 'defeated', or 'forced to give up'.