buckle down
verb
buckled down; buckling down; buckles down
informal
: to start to work hard
You had better buckle down if you want to get good grades.
Examples of buckle down in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Lawrence and the Glendora defense buckled down after the third-inning home run.
—
Justin Vigil Zuniga, Daily News, 27 May 2026
The Knicks will have to buckle down and win two of the next four contests against a scrappy Cleveland Cavaliers team, but the fans will unfortunately have to watch from the comfort of their own couches.
—Austin Perry Outkick, FOXNews.com, 23 May 2026
Gray buckled down and struck out Isaac Collins and drew a Michael Massey ground out to escape unscathed, and the Royals didn’t get another chance until the fifth when Massey doubled but was subsequently thrown out at the plate by Yoshida on a Kyle Isbel single.
—Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 19 May 2026
But after walking Yohendrick Piñango, Bednar buckled down, striking out George Springer and getting Guerrero to ground out to end the game.
—Chris Kirschner, New York Times, 19 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for buckle down
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.
Justin Vigil Zuniga, Daily News, 27 May 2026
The Knicks will have to buckle down and win two of the next four contests against a scrappy Cleveland Cavaliers team, but the fans will unfortunately have to watch from the comfort of their own couches.
—Austin Perry Outkick, FOXNews.com, 23 May 2026
Gray buckled down and struck out Isaac Collins and drew a Michael Massey ground out to escape unscathed, and the Royals didn’t get another chance until the fifth when Massey doubled but was subsequently thrown out at the plate by Yoshida on a Kyle Isbel single.
—Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 19 May 2026
But after walking Yohendrick Piñango, Bednar buckled down, striking out George Springer and getting Guerrero to ground out to end the game.
—Chris Kirschner, New York Times, 19 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for buckle down
Cite this Entry
“Buckle down.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/buckle%20down. Accessed 3 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
