buckle down
phrasal 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
After allowing 21 first-half points, the Chicago Bears defense buckled down against the Green Bay Packers on Saturday, and the offense rallied for a 31-27 playoff victory.
—
Phil Thompson, Chicago Tribune, 11 Jan. 2026
After leading by double digits most of the second half, the Horned Frogs needed to buckle down in the final four minutes to preserve the win.
—Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Nov. 2025
Across the country, columnists crack their knuckles and buckle down to begin think pieces about how the next big generational comedy is set in Los Angeles rather than New York.
—Savannah Salazar, Vulture, 1 Nov. 2025
The group buckled down to hold the Grizzlies to 8-of-24 from the field in the second quarter to go into halftime up 65-61 and limited Memphis to under 40% shooting from the end of the first onward.
—Evan Webeck, Mercury News, 28 Oct. 2025
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Phil Thompson, Chicago Tribune, 11 Jan. 2026
After leading by double digits most of the second half, the Horned Frogs needed to buckle down in the final four minutes to preserve the win.
—Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Nov. 2025
Across the country, columnists crack their knuckles and buckle down to begin think pieces about how the next big generational comedy is set in Los Angeles rather than New York.
—Savannah Salazar, Vulture, 1 Nov. 2025
The group buckled down to hold the Grizzlies to 8-of-24 from the field in the second quarter to go into halftime up 65-61 and limited Memphis to under 40% shooting from the end of the first onward.
—Evan Webeck, Mercury News, 28 Oct. 2025
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 14 Jan. 2026.
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