# settle for

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/settle-for
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To accept or allow something, especially something not entirely desirable.

## Examples

- I do not want to settle for a cheap phone.
- The apartment was small and expensive, but we decided to settle for it because we needed a place immediately.
- Rather than compromising his artistic vision, he refused to settle for a commercial deal that would force him to change his original work.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.