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Synonyms

settle for

British  

verb

  1. (intr, preposition) to accept or agree to in spite of dispute or dissatisfaction

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
settle for Idioms  

  1. Accept or be satisfied with as a compromise, as in He really wanted a bigger raise but decided to settle for what they offered. [Mid-1900s]

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

You should never settle for “good enough” when better, or best, is available.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 22, 2026

But Hocker had no response to Kerr's dash for gold and had to settle for silver, with Frenchman Yann Schrub taking bronze.

From BBC • Mar. 21, 2026

Still, investors don’t have to settle for neutral when there are stocks under the surface that haven’t been caught up in recent worries.

From Barron's • Mar. 2, 2026

She always has a brilliant comeback line for every situation, refusing to ever settle for second billing.

From Salon • Feb. 28, 2026

“Indeed. But I’ll have to settle for you.”

From "Six of Crows" by Leigh Bardugo

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.