1
as in looking up
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 inspiring
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 bucking up
Verb
-
In one photo, Bullock can be seen looking up at the sky as the younger versions of her two kids sit in her lap while wearing what appear to be Halloween costumes.—
Desiree Anello,
PEOPLE,
10 May 2026 -
Fiona said, looking up from her phone.—
Anna Wiener,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
Verb
-
In addition to inspiring TNT, the MGM deal gave Turner a few other ideas.—
Josef Adalian,
Vulture,
7 May 2026
-
That feeling of being seen and understood stayed with her, ultimately inspiring Henson to commit to a career as a nurse and to offer the same reassurance to her own patients.—
Nancy Badertscher,
AJC.com,
7 May 2026
Verb
-
Her strategy for brightening up the landscape?—
Miranda Crowell,
Better Homes & Gardens,
5 May 2026
-
The lighter hued varieties are perfect for brightening dark porches.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
4 May 2026
Verb
-
Iranian officials are encouraging the population to consume less electricity and gas, as a US blockade has interrupted the flow of shipments to Iran.—
Mitchell McCluskey,
CNN Money,
9 May 2026
-
Now there’s emphasis on offense, teaching it and coaching it and encouraging it.—
Fluto Shinzawa,
New York Times,
9 May 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
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.
Cite this Entry
“Bucking up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bucking%20up. Accessed 13 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
