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
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 bucking
Accenture — Shares rose nearly 2%, bucking the broader market downturn, after the consulting giant increased its share repurchase program by $2 billion to more than $7 billion.
—
Sarah Min,fred Imbert, CNBC, 23 June 2026
So bucking that trend was a sound choice.
—Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 17 June 2026
Pittsburgh is known for its affordable housing market, but the South Side neighborhood is bucking that trend.
—Gabby Sartori, USA Today, 16 June 2026
But certain players will also be bucking the trend.
—David Betancourt, New York Times, 13 June 2026
McCaul, a former chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, was one of 18 Republicans who voted Thursday to send aid to Ukraine and apply tougher sanctions on Russia, bucking House Republican leadership.
—Ford McCracken, ABC News, 7 June 2026
Wembanyama scored 22 points, Julian Champagnie got 18 of his 20 off of three-pointers and the Spurs beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 111-103 on Saturday night — bucking heavy odds to win a Game 7 on the road.
—Tim Reynolds, Los Angeles Times, 31 May 2026
Wembanyama scored 22 points, Julian Champagnie got 18 of his 20 off of 3-pointers and the Spurs beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 111-103 on Saturday night — bucking heavy odds to win a Game 7 on the road.
—CBS News, 30 May 2026
The president endorsed Paxton in the final days of the runoff, bucking Senate leadership’s preference of a Cornyn-Talarico ballot.
—Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 May 2026
Sarah Min,fred Imbert, CNBC, 23 June 2026
So bucking that trend was a sound choice.
—Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 17 June 2026
Pittsburgh is known for its affordable housing market, but the South Side neighborhood is bucking that trend.
—Gabby Sartori, USA Today, 16 June 2026
But certain players will also be bucking the trend.
—David Betancourt, New York Times, 13 June 2026
McCaul, a former chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, was one of 18 Republicans who voted Thursday to send aid to Ukraine and apply tougher sanctions on Russia, bucking House Republican leadership.
—Ford McCracken, ABC News, 7 June 2026
Wembanyama scored 22 points, Julian Champagnie got 18 of his 20 off of three-pointers and the Spurs beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 111-103 on Saturday night — bucking heavy odds to win a Game 7 on the road.
—Tim Reynolds, Los Angeles Times, 31 May 2026
Wembanyama scored 22 points, Julian Champagnie got 18 of his 20 off of 3-pointers and the Spurs beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 111-103 on Saturday night — bucking heavy odds to win a Game 7 on the road.
—CBS News, 30 May 2026
The president endorsed Paxton in the final days of the runoff, bucking Senate leadership’s preference of a Cornyn-Talarico ballot.
—Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bucking
Verb
-
Counsell admitted postgame that yanking Imanaga might not have been the right move.—
Meghan Montemurro,
Chicago Tribune,
16 June 2026
-
There are stories of major Nashville players yanking him off the street, keeping him drunk for days in hotels, then leaving Knoxville with stacks of new songs.—
Jonathan Rowe,
SPIN,
1 June 2026
Verb
-
These stunning, resilient shrub roses are bred to thrive in heat and humidity, resisting related diseases.—
Leanne Potts,
Better Homes & Gardens,
22 June 2026
-
He was arrested for arson, resisting/delaying/obstructing firefighters, and parole hold.—
Dean Fioresi,
CBS News,
21 June 2026
Verb
-
Cabrera, who opened with three perfect innings, quickly gave up a single, a double and a home run in the fourth, handing Colorado a 3-2 lead.—
Patrick Mooney,
New York Times,
17 June 2026
-
Those few extra seconds can be the difference between staying safe and handing a scammer your credit card, password or one-time code.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
17 June 2026
Verb
-
Although not all the novel’s major characters make it to the end of this uplifting yet tear-jerking work of historical fiction, Six-Thirty safely perseveres.—
Camille Perri,
PEOPLE,
10 June 2026
-
Avoid jerking the floss or aggressive movements; instead, use smooth, gentle motions.—
Sherri Gordon,
Health,
12 May 2026
Verb
-
Widely hailed as the GOAT by former record-holder Klose, opposing coaches, and his teammates, Messi continues to perform at an elite level, adapting his game with superior soccer IQ.—
Michael Lewis,
Forbes.com,
23 June 2026
-
This makes the shows exempt from the equal-time rule, which requires equal opportunities for opposing political candidates on non-news programming.—
Jon Brodkin,
ArsTechnica,
23 June 2026
Verb
-
No matter how many times Trump posts about it, passing more voter ID laws and lowering the Senate's voting threshold seem to be dead-on-arrival propositions.—
Zachary Schermele,
USA Today,
18 June 2026
-
Taurasi finishes with 7,494 points, passing Tina Thompson’s mark of 7,488.—
Assistant Sports Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
18 June 2026
Verb
-
The beast screamed and flew away, pulling an attached anchor into the water.—
Bryan Alexander,
USA Today,
22 June 2026
-
Launched in 2004 to study gamma-ray bursts, Swift remains scientifically valuable, but atmospheric drag has been pulling it dangerously close to Earth.—
Jamie Carter,
Forbes.com,
21 June 2026
Verb
-
As is Takal, clearly having fun with the film’s queasy, lurching atmospherics, abetted by the sparse, shivery, atonal chimes of Jonathan Goldsmith’s score, and the floating, disembodied feel of Robert Leitzell’s camerawork.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
13 June 2026
-
These are some of the heaviest grooves that Seefeel have created in ages, channeling lurching currents through intricate chains of dub delay.—
Philip Sherburne,
Pitchfork,
6 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bucking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bucking. Accessed 25 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
