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 Trojans managed a clunky 12-play opening drive, with King Miller doing most of the heavy lifting, but were forced to settle for a field goal.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 19, 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

England's Dimeji Shittu had to settle for silver at the Commonwealth Games on Saturday after a controversial defeat by India's Ankush Panghal.

From BBC ● Aug. 1, 2026

But those who can’t afford to do so settle for the next best thing with the rest of us.

From "They Both Die at the End" by Adam Silvera

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