as in to buckle (down)
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for apply (oneself)
Verb
-
Miller had Monday off after throwing 22 pitches in the ninth inning of Sunday’s 2-1 win over the Dominican Republic, when his fastball averaged 101 mph.—
Ronald Blum,
Chicago Tribune,
18 Mar. 2026 -
For example, the Detroit Tigers would not allow reliever Enmanuel De Jesus to pitch under any circumstances on Tuesday, while the Chicago Cubs said closer Daniel Palencia, like Miller, was only allowed to pitch in a save situation.—
Ryan Morik,
FOXNews.com,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
That four-decade head start gave the species plenty of time to dig in.—
Ryan Brennan,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
13 Mar. 2026
-
This tailgate-favorite dip is actually pretty healthy, so go ahead and dig in.—
Josh Miller,
Southern Living,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Magadan had a deadly reputation in the Stalin era, as a hub for Gulag mines where political prisoners slaved sometimes to death and produced gold and other minerals in the process.—
Ian Frazier,
New Yorker,
19 Jan. 2026
-
Po’s journey begins while slaving away at his boring noodle job on the day the Dragon Warrior is to be chosen.—
Skyler Trepel,
Entertainment Weekly,
25 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
In survival mode, many brands have been forced to knuckle down and fortify their business strategies, in hopes of setting them up for success against a difficult backdrop.—
Madeleine Schulz,
Vogue,
10 Mar. 2026
-
After a 3-1 defeat at Fulham in September, Howe pulled Isak aside and told him to knuckle down.—
George Caulkin,
New York Times,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Houston led the Hornets in tackles in 2024 and labored through injuries last season.—
Joe Davidson,
Sacbee.com,
20 Mar. 2026
-
Montiel, 62, said Chavez’s legacy continues to reverberate as the union has pushed for improved working conditions for people laboring in extreme heat, at times without adequate breaks or water.—
Ian James,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Brian Cashman gets it all the time, but good, from Yankee fans; for them, banging away at Cashman on social media feels like the real national pastime.—
Mike Lupica,
New York Daily News,
16 Aug. 2025
-
Former staff leaked internal spats and embarrassing editorial ideas by the new leadership and pointed out that many top leaders were banging away at stories that were likely below their pay grade.—
Max Tani,
semafor.com,
9 June 2025
Verb
-
More surprisingly, strategies typically seen as beneficiaries of volatility have also struggled.—
Lee Ying Shan,
CNBC,
18 Mar. 2026
-
The two then struggled over their firearms.—
CBS Atlanta Digital Team,
CBS News,
18 Mar. 2026
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.
Cite this Entry
“Apply (oneself).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/apply%20%28oneself%29. Accessed 23 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
