bring to one's knees

Make one submit; reduce to a position of subservience. For example, Solitary confinement usually brings prisoners to their knees. This particular phrase dates only from the late 1800s, although there were earlier versions alluding to being on one's knees as a gesture of submission.

Common Names:

Name	Pronounced	Usage
Anton	AHN-tawn (German), ahn-TON (Russian, Ukrainian), AHN-ton (Finnish)	German, Russian, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic, Dutch, Bulgarian, Ukrainian, Slovene, Macedo
Luitpold	-	German
Olli	OL-lee	Finnish
Eliina	E-lee:-nah	Finnish
Aiken	['eikin]
Victor	VIK-tər (English), veek-TOR (French)	English, French, Portuguese, Romanian, Dutch, Swedish, Late Roman