as in to buckle (down)
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for apply (oneself)
Verb
-
On Monday, catcher Logan O’Hoppe tried to challenge a Reid Detmers pitch in the first inning.—
Jeff Fletcher,
Oc Register,
25 Feb. 2026 -
Ahead of last week's Michigan State series, Schlossnagle expressed regret that freshmen Brett Crossland and Brody Walls and transfer Haiden Leffew had not yet pitched in a real-game situation since two of the Longhorns' four games to that point had been shortened.—
Danny Davis,
Austin American Statesman,
25 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
But also, dig in to the story behind this restaurant.—
Sarah Blaskovich,
Dallas Morning News,
1 Mar. 2026
-
For those considering fall planting, aim to dig in about 60 to 90 days before the first hard frost arrives.—
SJ McShane,
Martha Stewart,
26 Feb. 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
-
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
-
European countries need to knuckle down and increase their military capabilities while Russia is still dedicating a chunk of its forces to its invasion of Ukraine, Sweden's defense minister has said.—
Ellie Cook — reporting from Prague, Czech Republic,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
He was stuck deep in the recesses of shock and grief at the loss of the boy who’d labored by his side for so long, a boy who’d never harmed anyone and who had sat behind the wheel of that silver Saab from sunrise to sundown for the family.—
Anand Gopal,
New Yorker,
28 Feb. 2026
-
Like some other trade center components, the project labored for years to secure financing and an anchor tenant.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
26 Feb. 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
-
Deeper challenges China's policy announcements will be scrutinized for details on consumer stimulus, such as expanding trade-in subsidies, and any incremental support for the struggling property market.—
Evelyn Cheng,Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
4 Mar. 2026
-
With human civilization still struggling to find our way through our technological infancy, does this new study actually predict humanity’s demise?—
Big Think,
Big Think,
4 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 4 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
