knuckle down en · VERB
Pronunciation
- (Australia) audio
Etymology
1864 in American English, from the game of marbles.
Meanings
-
(idiomatic, intransitive) To get to work; to focus on a task.
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.
1939 November 10, “Following The War”, in The Chart, volume I, number 1, Joplin, Missouri: Joplin Junior College, page 4, column 1:
- To submit; knuckle under.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| knuckled down | Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic | |
| knuckled down | Tense=Past | lexicographic | |
| knuckling down | Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic | |
| knuckles down | Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres | lexicographic |
Relateds
Synonyms
pull up one's socks (get to work) · roll up one's sleeves (get to work) · get one's act together (get to work) · belly up to the bar (get to work) · shape up (get to work)
Translations (6)
fi ryhtyä hommiin (to get to work) · ro se pune pe treabă (to get to work) · ro se apuca de lucru (to get to work) · pl wziąć się (to get to work) · pl brać się (to get to work) · fr se mettre au travail (to get to work)