Synonyms for knuckle down
| Grammar : Verb |
| Spell : nuhk-uh l |
| Phonetic Transcription : ˈnʌk əl |
Définition of knuckle down
Origin :- mid-14c., knokel "finger joint; any joint of the body, especially a knobby one; morbid lump or swelling;" common Germanic (cf. Middle Low German knökel, Middle Dutch cnockel, German knöchel), literally "little bone," a diminutive of Proto-Germanic root *knuck- "bone" (cf. German Knochen "bone).
- As a verb from 1740, originally in the game of marbles. To knuckle down "apply oneself earnestly" is 1864 in American English, extended from marbles (putting a knuckle on the ground in assuming the hand position preliminary to shooting); to knuckle under "submit, give in" is first recorded 1740, supposedly from the former more general sense of "knuckle" and here meaning "knee," hence "to kneel." The face-busting knuckle-duster is from 1858 (a duster was a type of protective coat worn by workmen).
- verb apply oneself
- Meanwhile, put aside all that idea and knuckle down and help.
- Extract from : « Tom Slade with the Colors » by Percy K. Fitzhugh
- I get wore out lots of times and knuckle down, but Dr. Hugh won't.
- Extract from : « Rosemary » by Josephine Lawrence
- Well, my good times are over, and I'll have to knuckle down to work now.
- Extract from : « Mary's Rainbow » by Mary Edward Feehan
- The human family will not knuckle down and swallow the truth.
- Extract from : « The Eugenic Marriage, Vol 2 (of 4) » by W. Grant Hague
- If you are cowardly, she will be bold; but if you are bold and resolute, she will knuckle down.
- Extract from : « Love Me Little, Love Me Long » by Charles Reade
- But, even if he requests it were not going to knuckle down to Skeel; are we?
- Extract from : « Tom Fairfield's Schooldays » by Allen Chapman
- I know what I'm about—I'll make him knuckle down—never fear me!
- Extract from : « Ten Thousand a-Year. Volume 1. » by Samuel Warren
- I wasn't overfond of the job I had on the ship, but I had to knuckle down to it all the same.
- Extract from : « By Right of Conquest » by Arthur Hornblow
- Only one has to knuckle down to these wretched exams first.'
- Extract from : « Leonora » by Arnold Bennett
- But the commander refused to knuckle down to any show of arrogance.
- Extract from : « Treachery in Outer Space » by Carey Rockwell and Louis Glanzman
Words or expressions associated with your search
- back down
- backdown
- backing down
- backing downs
- bare down
- batten down
- batten down the hatches
- battened down
- be bogged down
- be down and out
- be down in mouth
- be down in the mouth
- be down mouth
- be down on
- be down the mouth
- bear down
- bear down on
- beat down
- bed down
- bend down
- bog down
- boil down
- boiled down
- bolt down
- boogie down
- bow down
- bow down to
- bowing down
- bowl down
- brass knuckles
- break down
- breakdown
- bring down
- bring one down
- broken-down
- brought down
- buckle down
- button down
- buttoned down
- call down
- call-down
- call downs
- called down
- calling down
- calling downs
- calls down
- calm down
- calmed down
- came down
- came down hard on
- came down with
- cast-down
- cast down
- casting down
- casts down
- chips are down
- chop down
- chow down
- close down
- come down
- come down hard on
- come down on
- comedown
- cool down
- countdown
- crack down
- crack down on
- cry down
- cut down
- cut down to size
- cutting down to size
- cutting downs
- deep down
- deep-down
- deepdown
- die down
- dig down
- down
- down and out
- down-and-out
- down-at-heel
- down for the count
- down home
- down in the mouth
- down memory lane
- down on
- down payment
- down the drain
- down to earth
- down-to-earth
- down with
- downbeat
- downcast
- downcome
- downer
- downfall
- downgrade
- downhearted
- downheartedness
- downhill
- downlink
- download
- downpour
- downright
- downside
- downsize
- downstairs
- downthrow
- downtime
- downtrodden
- downward
- downy
- drag down
- dressing-down
- drop down
- dying down
- eiderdown
- face down
- faced down
- faces down
- facing down
- fall down
- fall down on
- falls down
- far down
- fell down
- force down
- gat down basics
- gat down knee
- gat down on knee
- gat down on one knee
- gat down one knee
- gave low down
- gave low-down
- gave the low down
- gave the low-down
- get down
- get down cold
- get down knee
- get down on knee
- get down on knees
- get down on one knee
- get down one knee
- get down pat
- get down to basics
- get down to brass tacks
- get downs
- get it down
- get lowdown on
- gets down on knee
- gets down on one knee
- gets down one knee
- getting down knee
- getting down on knee
- getting down on one knee
- getting down one knee
- give thumbs down
- go down
- go-down
- go down swinging
- go down the line for
- go downhill
- goes down
- gulp down
- gulping down
- gulps down
- gun down
- gunned down
- hand down
- hand-me-down
- hand me down
- hand-me-downs
- handed-down
- handed down
- handing down
- hands down
- hang down
- hanged down
- hanging down
- hangs down
- have down pat
- held down
- hoedown
- hold down
- hunker down
- hunt down
- jerk and down
- jerk up and down
- jerked up down
- jerking and down
- jerks down
- jerks up down
- jot down
- jots down
- jotted down
- jotting down
- jump down one's throat
- jump down one throat
- jump down ones throat
- jump down throat
- jumped down one's throat
- jumped down ones throat
- jumping down one's throat
- jumping down one throat
- jumping down ones throat
- jumps down one's throat
- jumps down one throat
- jumps down ones throat
- keep down
- keep it down
- keeps down
- kick down the ladder
- kick downstairs
- kip down
- knock down
- knock down and drag out
- knock-down-drag-out
- knock-down drag-out
- knock down drag out
- knock down drag outs
- knock down price
- knockdown
- knockdowns
- knocking down
- knocking downs
- knuckle
- knuckle down
- knuckle down to
- knuckle duster
- knuckle-dusters
- knuckle sandwich
- knuckle to
- knuckle under
- knuckle with
- knuckled down to
- knucklehead
- knuckles
- knuckleunder
- knuckling down to
- knuckling unders
- knucks
- laid down
- laid down law
- laid down the law
- landowner
- lay down
- lay down and roll over
- lay down arms
- lay down job
- lay down law
- lay it down
- laying down
- laying down law
- laying down the law
- laying downs
- laying it down
- lays down
- lays down law
- lays down the law
- let down
- let-down
- let down easy
- let down hair
- let downs
- let-downs
- let hair down
- let one hair down
- let one's hair down
- let ones hair down
- letdown
- lets hair down
- lets one hair down
- lets one's hair down
- lets ones hair down
- letted hair down
- letted one hair down
- letted one's hair down
- letted ones hair down
- letting down
- letting hair down
- letting one hair down
- letting one's hair down
- letting ones hair down
- lie down
- lie down on job
- live down
- look down
- look down on
- look up and down
- low-down
- low-down dirty
- lowdown
- lowdown and dirty
- lying down
- mark down
- mow down
- nail down
- nail it down
- nailed down
- nailing down
- nails down
- nails it down
- narrow down
- narrowed down
- narrowing down
- narrows down
- nervous breakdown
- not tied down
- note down
- noted down
- notes down
- noting down
- nuclear meltdown accident
- on a downer
- pare down
- paring down
- paring downs
- pass down
- passes down
- pat down
- pay down
- peg down
- pin down
- pipe down
- play down
- plop down
- pull down
- put-down
- put down as
- put down for
- put down roots
- put foot down
- put one's foot down
- quiet down
- quieted down
- quieting down
- quiets down
- ram down one's throat
- ram down one throat
- ram down throat
- ramming down ones throat
- rams down throat
- ran down
- rap knuckle
- rap knuckles
- rap on knuckle
- rap on knuckles
- rapped knuckles
- rapped on knuckles
- rapping knuckles
- rapping on knuckles
- raps knuckles
- raps on knuckles
- rapt knuckles
- rapt on knuckles
- rubbing-down
- rubdown
- run down
- run-down
- rundown
- running down
- scarf down
- scrooch down
- sell down the river
- set down
- settle down
- shake-down
- shakedown
- shoot down
- shot down
- showdown
- showdown between good and evil
- shut down
- simmer down
- sit down
- slow down
- snuggled down
- step down
- sundown
- swear up and down
- take down
- take-down
- take down a notch
- take down a peg
- take down peg
- take it lying down
- takedown
- taken down
- takes down a peg
- taking down
- taking down a peg
- talk down to
- talked down to
- talking down to
- talks down to
- tare down
- tear down
- tears down
- throw down
- throw down gauntlet
- throw down the gauntlet
- thrown down
- thumbs down
- thumbs down on
- tie down
- tone down
- torn down
- toss down
- track down
- tumble-down
- tumbledown
- tune down
- turn down
- turn thumbs down
- turn upside down
- tying down
- up and down
- walk and down
- walk down
- walk down aisle
- walk up and down
- walk up down
- walked and down
- walked down
- walked up and down
- walked up down
- walking and down
- walking down
- walking down aisle
- walking up and down
- walks and down
- walks down
- walks down aisle
- walks up and down
- walks up down
- was down in mouth
- was down in the mouth
- was down mouth
- was down the mouth
- wash down
- water down
- watered-down
- watered down
- wear down
- weigh down
- weighed down
- white knuckle
- white-knuckler
- wind down
- wolf down
- worn-down
- write down
Most wanted synonyms
Based on : Thesaurus.com - Gutenberg.org - Dictionary.com - Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019