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
Halfway through the third, trailing the Pacers 15, the Hawks buckled down defensively.
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Lauren Williams, AJC.com, 26 Jan. 2026
The Texans, however, buckled down and did not let the Patriots take advantage.
—CBS News, 18 Jan. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for buckle down
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Lauren Williams, AJC.com, 26 Jan. 2026
The Texans, however, buckled down and did not let the Patriots take advantage.
—CBS News, 18 Jan. 2026
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
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 4 Feb. 2026.
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