1
as in brightened
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 inspired
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bucked up
Verb
-
Since its discovery, the comet has brightened in magnitude and is becoming more and more visible.—
Harry Bennett,
Space.com,
8 Oct. 2025 -
Kindling his broad grin and clean laughter brightened even the most discouraging day.—
Jim Moore,
Outdoor Life,
8 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Each version of the muscular coupe features a special livery inspired by its predecessor.—
Bryan Hood,
Robb Report,
13 Oct. 2025
-
Williams’s husband, Alexis Ohanian, started Athlos after being inspired by the intensity and excitement around track and field events during the Olympics.—
Lynnette Nicholas,
Essence,
13 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Bompastor’s lack of reaction was telling — as referee Michalina Diakow pointed to the spot, the head coach barely looked up from her fervent conversation with Erin Cuthbert on the touchline.—
Cerys Jones,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
-
The Babycatcher looked up at the sky and squinted.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
16 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Over the course of a conversation that spanned more than a million words and 300 hours, the bot encouraged Brooks to adopt grandiose beliefs, validated his delusions, and led him to believe the technological infrastructure that underpins the world was in imminent danger.—
Beatrice Nolan,
Fortune,
19 Oct. 2025
-
These men, too, were encouraged to get married—and stay married.—
Julia Ioffe,
New Yorker,
19 Oct. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Bucked up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bucked%20up. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.
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