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
Relevance
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
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
The outlook Going forward, will Brightline generate enough revenue to buck up its reserves and make a profit over the long term?
—David Lyons, Sun Sentinel, 27 May 2025
Dallas keeps bringing up last year’s six-game win over Colorado in an apparent effort to buck up themselves and their despondent fans, who are rending their garments over a meaningless seven-game losing streak to end the season.
—Mark Lazerus, New York Times, 20 Apr. 2025
The small-town infrastructure was starting to buck up against NASCAR’s ascending popularity — something racing officials wanted to capitalize on by building state-of-the-art tracks out West.
—Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 18 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for buck up
Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 25 July 2025
The outlook Going forward, will Brightline generate enough revenue to buck up its reserves and make a profit over the long term?
—David Lyons, Sun Sentinel, 27 May 2025
Dallas keeps bringing up last year’s six-game win over Colorado in an apparent effort to buck up themselves and their despondent fans, who are rending their garments over a meaningless seven-game losing streak to end the season.
—Mark Lazerus, New York Times, 20 Apr. 2025
The small-town infrastructure was starting to buck up against NASCAR’s ascending popularity — something racing officials wanted to capitalize on by building state-of-the-art tracks out West.
—Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 18 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for buck up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for buck up
Verb
-
Creative courage grows with practice, as a nurturing New Moon brightens your 5th House of Inspiration and encourages self-expression through personal projects or other ways of letting off steam.—
Tarot.com,
Chicago Tribune,
18 Mar. 2026
-
The Versed formula has skin-loving ingredients like kojic acid, which actually helps to brighten skin, and caffeine to reduce puffiness, all while offering medium coverage and spreading easily.—
Catharine Malzahn,
Glamour,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Rollicking Japanese City Pop era tunes from the ‘80s and ‘90s keep energy levels up; on Sundays, off-duty geiko or maiko may be sitting at a cozy banquette nearby—they’re given a discount to encourage a local patronage, too.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
21 Mar. 2026
-
Looking ahead, the town is also encouraging residents to reduce water use long term by replacing traditional turf grass with more drought-resistant landscaping.—
Jamie Leary,
CBS News,
21 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
In the first two weeks of the war, there has been a surge in the number of Americans looking to save money on energy—by asking for quotes on home solar systems and looking up electric vehicles online.—
Bill McKibben,
New Yorker,
18 Mar. 2026
-
But things are finally looking up for the 7-foot-2 big man.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The restaurant’s culinary language infuses Mediterranean (largely French Riviera flavors) inspired dishes and Japanese ingredients and cooking techniques—all with sustainability in mind.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
20 Mar. 2026
-
The new way could be inspiring people.—
Magi Helena,
Dallas Morning News,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The renovation project, which officials say will refresh Civic Center for another 100 years, includes glowing up the Greek Theater with a better stage and seating.—
John Wenzel,
Denver Post,
18 Mar. 2026
-
The warm tones in the braids absolutely glowed, especially when paired with a striking pop of more dramatic color from the super-blonde, nearly platinum color in the mid-lengths, which blended with chocolate and espresso brunette tones for a cool color contrast.—
Kara Nesvig,
Allure,
17 Mar. 2026
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
-
Harriet remembered there was something: inexpressibly affecting in the aspect of the frail little creature who had done such wonderful things, and who was able to bear up, with so bright an eye and so composed a countenance, under not only such a weight of sorrow, but such a prospect of solitude.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Geopolitical tensions – including the war in Iran – have revived fears of terrorism and instability.—
Nathan Diller,
USA Today,
23 Mar. 2026
-
The mine languished for a decade, until a new company, Molycorp, tried, unsuccessfully, to compete with China and revive the business.—
Jon Wertheim,
CBS News,
22 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Buck up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/buck%20up. Accessed 25 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
