I'm not sure if this is the right place to ask this, but it's driving me insane!
There's a word that means "to settle for something instead of the best you could get" and I'm pretty sure it's two syllables and starts with "r".
In a sentence, you might say
"Since our budget is limited, we'll need to [word] and go for this cheaper alternative"
Can anyone help me? Save me from my misery!
The sentence cited by OP:
Since our budget is limited, we'll need to [word] and go for this cheaper alternative.
The sentence could become:
Since our budget is limited, we'll need to resort to this cheaper alternative.
resort to something means to turn to something as an alternative that is not necessarily the one that is the absolute best.
Another example: The company never resorts to cheaper suppliers as they are unable to provide the quality it seeks.
Consider resign, which means:
(without object) to submit; yield.
(transitive) to reconcile (oneself) to; yield:
This word has a slightly negative connotation. One settles, despite not wanting to.
Your sentence would be rendered:
"Since our budget is limited, we'll need to resign ourselves to this cheaper alternative."
Could it be relent?
verb (used without object)
- to soften in feeling, temper, or determination; become more mild, compassionate, or forgiving.
- to become less severe; slacken:
Example:
Pete tries to convince Trudy that they ought to buy an apartment in the city; she refuses... [events unfold] Only then does Trudy relent, saying that he should get an apartment in Manhattan.
Revert means to return to a previous state or process.
Since our budget is limited, we'll need to revert to this cheaper alternative.
It has the sense of something that was tried, didn't work out, and was replaced by a known, less desirable, state. So, it could be seen as "settling for" an alternative.
You're looking for some synonym of 'compromise', 'concede' or 'reconsider'.
I mention these although they don't fit your criteria, because I'm personally always wrong when guessing what a tip-of-the-tongue word begins with (counter to Silenus' comment).
resigned (adjective)
"Since our budget was limited, we resigned to the fact we would need a cheaper alternative"
Roll Back
Could work in some narrow senses of settle for. Two syllable and consider definition 3 from Webster
syn rescind: attempt to roll back antipollution standards
Since our budget is limited, we'll need to roll back and go for this cheaper alternative"
I think "replace" suits what you're asking for. This way, your given example will be:
"Since our budget is limited, we'll need to replace (that/it) for this cheaper alternative."
It could be rest. For example - After a long debate, we settled on midnight blue curtains. After a long debate, we rested on midnight blue curtains.
Its been a long time since someone cleaned the tanks, as there is a lot of dust resting in bottom.
It's not as good as resign, but retire could work depending on the context.
I retired from my quest for fame and chose instead to live a simple life.
Unlike resign, the word retire implies that an exhaustive amount of effort had been expended prior to eventually "settling for" an alternative.
