knuckle under

verb

1. (intr, adverb) to give way under pressure or authority; yield

Idioms and Phrases

Also, knuckle down. Give in, acknowledge defeat, as in The dean refused to knuckle under to the graduate students' demands, or He was forced to knuckle down before their threats of violence. Presumably this idiom alludes to a kneeling position with hands on the ground, knuckles down. [Mid-1700s]

Example Sentences

Instead he knuckled under to a would-be autocrat-president, bending the knee even after Donald Trump lost reelection and marshaled an attack on the Capitol in an unprecedented bid to stay in power.

From Los Angeles Times

Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell, who vowed to avoid default, finally cut a deal allowing an increase and has since faced blowback from hardliners including former President Trump, who claims he knuckled under to Democrats.

From Reuters

“Wake up. Show the rest of America that you can get some backbone and push back and say we’re not gonna knuckle under.”

From Washington Post

People call New York a cesspool, but New Yorkers would never knuckle under to intolerance and let some lowlife get away with drawing swastikas.

From Literature

The leader of Alberta’s left-wing New Democratic Party accused Mr. Kenney of knuckling under to “criminals.”

From Washington Times