Synonyms

settle for

British

verb

(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

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.

See Examples For:

settle for

The Galaxy give up a late goal and have to settle for a 1-1 draw with the Seattle Sounders that hurts their chances of reaching the MLS Cup playoffs.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 15, 2026

“We don’t settle for anything less than excellence in every group in the company, and we have the self-honesty to admit when we’re wrong and the courage to change,” he responded.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 29, 2026

Why did nearly all states agree to settle for so much less?

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026

It's all too easy to settle for an imperfect partner because they're a comfortable and familiar presence.

From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026

It is cold, cold; so cold that the grey heavy sky is full of snow, which when it falls will settle for all winter as the ground is hardening to receive it.

From "Dracula" by Bram Stoker

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