knock under
C1 formal inseparable intransitive
In simple words
To stop fighting and agree to do what someone else wants.
Literal meaning: To knock something downward, suggesting being pushed beneath another's power.
Meanings
1 C1
idiomatic
formal
To submit to authority or overwhelming pressure; to stop resisting and comply.
"After weeks of negotiation, the council finally knocked under to the landowner's demands."
Grammar: inseparable
Usage notes
This is an archaic or very old-fashioned expression. Modern speakers almost never use it; 'knuckle under' or 'give in' are preferred. It may appear in historical texts.
Commonly used with
authority pressure demands force superior
Forms
Base
knock under
I/you/we/they
3rd person
knocks under
he/she/it
Past simple
knocked under
yesterday
Past participle
knocked under
have + pp
-ing form
knocking under
continuous
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