1,400 new words in our dictionary! — Parasocial, glow-up, promposal & more
1,400 new words in our dictionary! — More

buckle 1 of 2

verb

Definition of bucklenext
1
as in to collapse
to fall down or in as a result of physical pressure the flimsy bridge buckled under the weight of the caravan of trucks

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to devote
to occupy (oneself) diligently or with close attention buckled himself down and finished the assignment in record time

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

buckle

2 of 2

noun

as in loop

Related Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of buckle
Verb
My relationship with Aaron buckled, and then started to break. — Anna Heyward, PEOPLE, 7 Sep. 2026 Besides the threat from Iran, Jordan faces other challenges, such as an economy that has buckled under millions of refugees fleeing regional conflicts. — ABC News, 4 Sep. 2026
Noun
For women, a plaid dress featured a keyhole detail set off by a shoe buckle — shoes being an unlikely inspiration for the collection. — ABC News, 24 Sep. 2026 Coover rested an elbow on the bar and crossed one cowboy boot over the other, his fist-size belt buckle shining under the Tiffany lamps and copper ceilings. — Kyle Paoletta, Harpers Magazine, 22 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for buckle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for buckle
  1. collapse
  2. devote
  3. loop
  4. go
  5. apply
  6. fold
  7. give
  8. spiral
Verb
  • Four American tourists died on Friday after a building collapsed due to a gas explosion in Athens, Greece, in a neighborhood near the Acropolis.
    — Carter Schroppe, The Washington Examiner, 27 Sep. 2026
  • The possibility -- even likelihood -- of some rickety old thing collapsing under me never occurred to me.
    — Bryan Hendricks, Arkansas Online, 27 Sep. 2026
Definition of collapse
Verb
  • Instead of promoting the new album, George mostly ignored his own catalog, devoting two-thirds of the set to oldies by his heroes, including David Bowie, Chaka Khan, Culture Club, and Elton John.
    — Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Time magazine devoted its annual 1975 Man of the Year issue to Women of the Year.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of devote
Noun
  • Concerns about military readiness, workforce shortages, rising health care costs, affordability, and America’s ability to compete in an increasingly challenging world seem to play on a loop without any sign of progress.
    — Stanley McChrystal, STAT, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Rather than forcing you to adapt to a permanently stitched grid of elastic loops, the M3 utilizes heavy-duty, modular pages.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of loop
Verb
  • During the ensuing pursuit, the Lexus kept its lights off, reached speeds up to 65 mph and went airborne multiple times, the report says.
    — arkansasonline.com, arkansasonline.com, 23 Sep. 2026
  • Here's where Lions go next at safety Did someone forward you this newsletter?
    — Leah Olajide, Freep.com, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of go
Verb
  • Kelly opened by reminding both sides that he's required to apply case precedent.
    — JOCELYN NOVECK, Arkansas Online, 24 Sep. 2026
  • Carter reasoned that the arbitration was sufficient, Moore received a fair hearing, and the arbitrator correctly applied the relevant standard to the facts.
    — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of apply
Noun
  • This year’s edition folds in the Co-Production Market Selects program, pitch sessions through the Tasveer Film Fund, industry panels, fireside conversations and networking events.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 23 Sep. 2026
  • And for ease of use, the three-seat setup at the back folds electronically.
    — Viju Mathew, Robb Report, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of fold
Verb
  • That behavior gives engineers a way to control how a material stores and releases electrical energy.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 26 Sep. 2026
  • Most of those steps have been blocked by various courts, in part because the Constitution gives states and Congress the authority to set election rules, but provides no such power to the president.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of give
Noun
  • Ascending the museum’s spiral from the ground floor, the unnamed agent’s recollections unfold in forty-two chronological chapters illustrated with photographic, video, and sculptural installations.
    — Emily Witt, New Yorker, 26 Sep. 2026
  • The need to service debt and expand revenue with short- and long-term trips became a balancing act that threatened to become a self-perpetuating spiral.
    — Joshua Ceballos, Miami Herald, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of spiral

Browse Nearby Words

bucking up
buckle
buckled
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Buckle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/buckle. Accessed 29 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on buckle

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about buckle

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of argot

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of the words cracker fly and sale arranged in a triangle with the word fire in the middle
Triple Play Quiz Find the word that pairs with each of the three g...
See All