buck up

verb

Definition of buck upnext
1
as in to brighten
to become glad or hopeful buck up, kids, it's not so bad as you're making it out to be

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to encourage
to fill with courage or strength of purpose a surprise presidential visit to buck up the troops

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of buck up Signal flares shot into the social media sky are meant to jumpstart conversations with coaches needing to plug holes or buck up slouching fan bases. — Brian Davis, Houston Chronicle, 2 Jan. 2026 While waiting for help, stay bucked up inside your vehicle. — Anna Kleiber, jsonline.com, 15 Oct. 2025 Defense gonna have to buck up yet again. — Joe Nguyen, Denver Post, 21 Sep. 2025 And then, over the course of the six episodes, Julie does encourage him to buck up at a little bit. — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 25 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for buck up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for buck up
  1. brighten
  2. encourage
  3. look up
  4. inspire
  5. glow
  6. bear up
  7. revive
Verb
  • Air molecules reflect and scatter light beyond an immediate beam, which is why the sky starts brightening at dawn even before the sun climbs above the horizon.
    — Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 14 July 2026
  • Detroit has also allowed a league-high 153 points through three weeks, further brightening Crawford’s outlook.
    — Juan Carlos Blanco, Forbes.com, 12 July 2026
Definition of brighten
Verb
  • Early on, Whalen had encouraged a fruit plate, paired with California cheeses, that never quite took off with customers.
    — Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2026
  • Today’s astro-weather encourages us to be emotionally intelligent without being evasive.
    — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 8 July 2026
Definition of encourage
Verb
  • Trainers should take time to look up from their phones and see any hidden prizes.
    — Gieson Cacho, Mercury News, 9 July 2026
  • People in London had given me a list of people to look up in New York, so this one guy took me to see the New York Dolls.
    — Tina Eves, SPIN, 8 July 2026
Definition of look up
Verb
  • Styles and Swift dated on-and-off until 2013, when their breakup inspired several songs on Swift’s 1989.
    — Kathleen Perricone, Entertainment Weekly, 8 July 2026
  • Richards, who slept with his guitar and kept a tape recorder by his bed in case he got inspired, came up with the riff and refrain virtually in his sleep.
    — René Ostberg, Encyclopedia Britannica, 8 July 2026
Definition of inspire
Verb
  • Hathaway glowed in an embellished Marc by Marc Jacobs mini dress and Miu Miu platform heels, per the HuffPost.
    — Emily Blackwood, PEOPLE, 8 July 2026
  • Water off the coast of North Carolina sometimes glows blue, but the light can be hard to find.
    — Eva Flowe July 8, Charlotte Observer, 8 July 2026
Definition of glow
Verb
  • It can also be used as a bench, bearing up to 355 pounds.
    — Caitlyn Martyn may earn a commission if you buy through our referral links. This content was created by a team that works independently from the Fox newsroom., FOXNews.com, 11 Aug. 2025
  • In 1970, the average Chinese woman was expected to bear up to six children throughout her lifetime.
    — Micah McCartney, Newsweek, 22 Jan. 2025
Definition of bear up
Verb
  • City leaders now face pressure to revive past holiday crackdowns — from checkpoints to curfews — as Newport wrestles with balancing coastal access, tourism revenue and neighborhood safety.
    — Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2026
  • Oil prices still remain well below their war-time peaks of above $120 a barrel for Brent, but the increases could be enough to revive inflation fears.
    — Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 8 July 2026
Definition of revive

Browse Nearby Words

bucks up
buck up
bucolic
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Cite this Entry

“Buck up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/buck%20up. Accessed 15 Jul. 2026.

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