Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

knuckle down

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.22 in modern English

Syllables: knuck-le -down
IPA

25

Scrabble Score

11

Letters

3

Syllables

9

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To get to work; to focus on a task.

Intransitive verb

verb

To submit; knuckle under.

Example Sentences

"You should knuckle down and do your homework!"
"As students all over the United States knuckle down to learning, the rumble of war drums once more proclaims Mars high man in Europe. Discarding morbid curiosity, every student should consider it vitally necessary to get a general picture of the causes, movements, and possible effects of World War II. The average U. S. citizen's knowledge of World War II will probably decide his role in it."

Etymology

1864 in American English, from the game of marbles.

Usage

Intransitive verb

Inflected Forms

knuckles down (present, singular) knuckling down (participle, present) knuckled down (participle, past) knuckled down (past)

Phrases

hunker down buckle down

Frequently Paired Words

hunker down buckle down

Synonyms

belly up to the bar get one's act together pull up one's socks roll up one's sleeves shape up slave break one's back buckle down

Questions

What does knuckle down mean?: To get to work; to focus on a task.
Where does knuckle down come from?: 1864 in American English, from the game of marbles.

How to pronounce knuckle down

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