as in to buckle (down)
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Recent Examples of Synonyms for apply (oneself)
Verb
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Winner Sandy Alcantara — the Marlins’ ace, pitching in his home ballpark — gave up three runs and five hits while striking out three in three innings.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
11 Mar. 2026 -
Sandlin, who is rehabbing from elbow surgery, still has not pitched in a Cactus League game.—
Jeff Fletcher,
Oc Register,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
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That four-decade head start gave the species plenty of time to dig in.—
Ryan Brennan,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
13 Mar. 2026
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This tailgate-favorite dip is actually pretty healthy, so go ahead and dig in.—
Josh Miller,
Southern Living,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
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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
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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
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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
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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
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Irish workers also labored in rail yards and mines in the area.—
Paula Kane,
The Conversation,
13 Mar. 2026
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My fascination extended to gardeners, who voluntarily labored to create something with no hope of permanence.—
Amy Waldman,
Travel + Leisure,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
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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
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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
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More surprisingly, strategies typically seen as beneficiaries of volatility have also struggled.—
Lee Ying Shan,
CNBC,
18 Mar. 2026
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The two then struggled over their firearms.—
CBS Atlanta Digital Team,
CBS News,
18 Mar. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Apply (oneself).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/apply%20%28oneself%29. Accessed 18 Mar. 2026.
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