1
as in yanking
to move or cause to move with a sharp quick motion
the car bucked and stalled
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in resisting
to refuse to give in to
bucked the trend to outdo everyone else and just wore the same clothes they had in previous years
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in handing
to shift possession of (something) from one person to another
buck each box to the next person in line, and the last person will stack them in the storeroom
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of bucking
The price of rent in the city and surrounding county is dropping, bucking regional and statewide trends.
—
Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 1 Feb. 2026
The Reader’s nonprofit board and foundational partners sought help from Noisy Creek, an upstart publisher bucking the trends and betting on the future of alt-weeklies.
—Robert Channick, Chicago Tribune, 30 Jan. 2026
With olive green and purple designs, Maison Lejaby was bucking the sobriety trend.
—Alex Wynne, Footwear News, 30 Jan. 2026
Blue-chip megafunds continue to attract capital, bucking the trend.
—Hank Tucker, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
Spain plans to grant 500,000 undocumented migrants legal status, bucking a trend among many Western nations that are cracking down on immigration.
—semafor.com, 28 Jan. 2026
King repeatedly voted to reopen the government during the last shutdown, bucking his caucus.
—Garrett Downs,emily Wilkins, CNBC, 28 Jan. 2026
The Hoosiers, who are favored to beat Miami in the title game, are on the verge of bucking that trend.
—Sam Khan Jr, New York Times, 17 Jan. 2026
Murkowski made headlines in 2022 and 2024 for bucking her party and supporting Peltola‘s House campaigns.
—Molly Parks, The Washington Examiner, 12 Jan. 2026
Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 1 Feb. 2026
The Reader’s nonprofit board and foundational partners sought help from Noisy Creek, an upstart publisher bucking the trends and betting on the future of alt-weeklies.
—Robert Channick, Chicago Tribune, 30 Jan. 2026
With olive green and purple designs, Maison Lejaby was bucking the sobriety trend.
—Alex Wynne, Footwear News, 30 Jan. 2026
Blue-chip megafunds continue to attract capital, bucking the trend.
—Hank Tucker, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
Spain plans to grant 500,000 undocumented migrants legal status, bucking a trend among many Western nations that are cracking down on immigration.
—semafor.com, 28 Jan. 2026
King repeatedly voted to reopen the government during the last shutdown, bucking his caucus.
—Garrett Downs,emily Wilkins, CNBC, 28 Jan. 2026
The Hoosiers, who are favored to beat Miami in the title game, are on the verge of bucking that trend.
—Sam Khan Jr, New York Times, 17 Jan. 2026
Murkowski made headlines in 2022 and 2024 for bucking her party and supporting Peltola‘s House campaigns.
—Molly Parks, The Washington Examiner, 12 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bucking
Verb
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The yellow bucket of a heavy construction excavator crashed down onto the roof of the vacant home at Parade Park, yanking it into a heap of split plaster and lumber.—
Eric Adler,
Kansas City Star,
4 Feb. 2026
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But after the first attempt malfunctioned — the lace caught on the bottom of Buckley's bouquet, resulting in the veil accidentally yanking her head back — everyone is now on high alert.—
Sydney Bucksbaum,
Entertainment Weekly,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The driver of the car, identified as 36-year-old Amber O'Neal, was taken to the hospital and then booked into the Jefferson County Jail on unrelated, outstanding warrants for third-degree assault, vehicular eluding, and resisting arrest.—
Austen Erblat,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
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More effective diplomacy, as demonstrated by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and French President Emmanuel Macron at the same forum, conveys the same message about resisting bullying through measured language that preserves dignity and institutional respect.—
George Skelton,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Jaylen Brown had 33 points and 11 rebounds, and the Boston Celtics beat Dallas 110-100 on Tuesday night, overcoming another stellar showing from Cooper Flagg and handing the Mavericks their season-worst fifth consecutive loss.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
4 Feb. 2026
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Keep in mind Atlanta didn’t interview a minority for the top executive role before handing Ryan power to make decisions.—
Omar Kelly,
Miami Herald,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The tear-jerking dramedy featured a breakthrough role for Emilia Jones, an Oscar-winning, scene-stealing turn by Troy Kotsur and a thoughtful narrative that took audiences into the personal lives of a deaf family with a single hearing member.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
22 Jan. 2026
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That jerking motion, combined with detergent and water, loosens dirt from the surfaces of clothing.—
Mary Catherine McAnnally Scott,
Southern Living,
27 Dec. 2025
Verb
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In opposing the defense’s motion, prosecutors maintain that preventing jurors from hearing or seeing this material would undermine the judicial process.—
Preezy Brown,
VIBE.com,
3 Feb. 2026
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Infantino’s comments opposing bans on national teams comes amid pressure for FIFA to take action against Israel.—
Adam Crafton,
New York Times,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
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At 37 years old, Stafford led the NFL in both passing yards (4,707) and passing touchdowns (46), while recording a career-low eight interceptions.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
6 Feb. 2026
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Attempting to break an Eastern Washington University receiving record is like trying to set a franchise passing mark with the Patriots.—
Doug Kyed,
Boston Herald,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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At a union hall in San Diego last November, Gavin Newsom—the tall, coiffed governor of California, and, since last year, one of the Democrats’ best hopes for pulling together a shattered country—stood to one side in white shirtsleeves and waited for his turn to address the crowd.—
Nathan Heller,
New Yorker,
1 Feb. 2026
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Wagner wasn’t as fortunate with his 7-iron shot, pulling it left into the rough (and scuffing the bottom of his club).—
Jay Posner,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
1 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Natanya complicates her old-school character sketch with cerebral shifts in perspective, affecting each of the voices that accompany a young woman’s drive for success and independence (demanding friends and parents, sexist expectations, her own willpower) in a lurching cascade of melodies.—
H.D. Angel,
Pitchfork,
13 Jan. 2026
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The midterm blue wave backlash is gathering, with the generic ballot lurching in the Democrats' favor and Trump’s popularity cratering.—
Matt Robison,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bucking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bucking. Accessed 6 Feb. 2026.
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