# knuckle down

CEFR B2 · Phrasal verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/knuckle-down
Updated: 2026-10-22

## Definition

to start working very hard on a task that you need to finish. You use this when you stop being lazy and focus on your work.

For teachers: To apply oneself seriously and vigorously to a task. The verb is intransitive, though it frequently takes a prepositional phrase starting with 'to' to indicate the object of focus.

## Examples

- I really need to knuckle down and finish this report.
- With the final exams only a week away, the students finally decided to knuckle down and study in the library.
- The research department had to knuckle down to meet the stringent requirements of the grant application before the midnight deadline.

## Pitfalls

- Not "He knuckled down his studies." but "He knuckled down to his studies." — The verb is intransitive and requires the preposition 'to' before an object.

## Usage notes

- Usually used when someone has been procrastinating or needs to work harder than usual.
- Teaching tip: The phrase likely comes from the game of marbles, where players put their knuckles down on the ground to take a steady shot.

---

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.