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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.

She likely had to settle for a text.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 25, 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

Even if it were, the linkage implies that “Dynasty: The Murdochs” doesn’t settle for simply being informative.

From Salon • Mar. 14, 2026

Doncic had a chance at 50 points in a game against the Minnesota Timberwolves in October, but missed a late free throw that forced him to settle for 49 points.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 13, 2026

I had to settle for being a watcher.

From "Seedfolks" by Paul Fleischman

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.