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Glite Dictionary
to knuckle under

to knuckle under

4 8.4
To give in to pressure or someone in charge even if you do not want to
  • phrasal verb
  • /ˈnʌkəl ˈʌndər/
  • Informal
translation icon : ceder
  • Rance, after all you've taught us, how can you say we should knuckle under now?

Examples

  • 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

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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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

to resist
311 2.2

Act against authority, rules or change

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

knuckle under infinitive
knuckled under past
knuckled under past participle
knuckling under present participle
knuckles under third person singular

Morphology

knuckle + under

The idiomatic sense 'to yield or submit' is not predictably derived from the literal meanings of 'knuckle' (a part of the finger or related actions) and 'under' (below/subject to). While 'under' can suggest being subject to pressure, 'knuckle' does not transparently convey yielding, so the overall meaning is idiomatic and unlikely to be inferred by a B1 learner who only knows the constituent words.

Etymology

Knuckle under may come from the image of putting your knuckle under a heavy weight and pressing until it bends and gives way. So, the phrase came to mean 'to yield' or 'to submit' to pressure.