knuckle down
English
Etymology
1864 in American English, from the game of marbles.
Pronunciation
Audio (AU): (file)
Verb
knuckle down (third-person singular simple present knuckles down, present participle knuckling down, simple past and past participle knuckled down)
- (intransitive, chiefly British, idiomatic) To get to work; to focus on a task.
- You should knuckle down and do your homework!
- To submit; knuckle under.
Synonyms
- (get to work): belly up to the bar, get one's act together, pull up one's socks, roll up one's sleeves, shape up