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
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Discovered in January, the green comet has brightened faster than predicted in recent weeks and now looks set to be visible from dark rural skies during October 2025.—
Jamie Carter,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025 -
Stained and seasoned with curry powder, the chickpea salad’s bold flavor is brightened with fresh herbs, scallions and a splash of vinegar.—
The New York Times News Service Syndicate,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The furniture, objects, and art left me feeling culturally satisfied and inspired to finally finish furnishing my apartment.—
Libby Page,
Vogue,
16 Sep. 2025
-
Gaudí’s structure is a head-spinning mixture of morphing geometrical forms, many inspired by nature.—
D. T. Max,
New Yorker,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
And then the Dodgers looked up on August 12th and found themselves in a tie for first place.—
Dan Freedman,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
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While there are some exceptions, most schools who have left their historic homes to join a shiny new neighborhood like the SEC, Big Ten and ACC have looked up years later to find their wallets fat but their trophy case bare.—
Mac Cerullo,
Boston Herald,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
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In his acceptance speech, Cooper revealed only started drama classes a couple of years ago and encouraged those watching to step out of their comfort zones.—
Olivia B. Waxman,
Time,
15 Sep. 2025
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In recent years, as American moms have been enthusiastically encouraged to breastfeed, many experts have emphasized that making sure infants are fed, period, should be parents’ highest priority.—
Yasmin Tayag,
The Atlantic,
14 Sep. 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 17 Sep. 2025.
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