1
as in collapsed
to fall down or in as a result of physical pressure
the flimsy bridge buckled under the weight of the caravan of trucks
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in devoted
to occupy (oneself) diligently or with close attention
buckled himself down and finished the assignment in record time
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of buckled
Sakahara later told his son he’d been beaten and kicked and only buckled after officers began to direct the threats at people around him, said Koji, who had confronted his father about his confession.
—
Yumi Asada, CNN Money, 13 June 2026
In the dead of night, the earth beneath Southern California buckled, shaking millions of people, damaging or destroying hundreds of buildings, breaking the California Aqueduct and sending more than a billion gallons of water flooding into an ancient desert lake bed.
—Shelby Grad, Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2026
But the bullpen picked him up with five scoreless innings until Bradgley Rodriguez buckled in the 10th inning and Matsui did the same in the 11th.
—Jeff Sanders, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 June 2026
Kim’s backing of Russia’s war with Ukraine has paid dividends, his weapons program has cemented North Korea’s status as a de facto nuclear state, and an economy that buckled under the pressure of pandemic isolation and sanctions has since rebounded.
—Stella Kim, NBC news, 8 June 2026
On a chilly January night in 2025, CATS bus driver Sheila Andrews buckled her seatbelt at the uptown Charlotte transit center as passengers boarded.
—Caitlin McGlade, Charlotte Observer, 2 June 2026
City information officer Jay Pelayo said that the building's walls and surrounding scaffolding buckled, trapping people in piles of debris, per the BBC.
—Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 24 May 2026
The shoes feature an open toe design with four criss cross straps over the toes and a thin and dainty buckled ankle strap.
—Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 18 May 2026
Another officer noticed one of the children was not properly buckled and was crying.
—Wcco Staff, CBS News, 14 May 2026
Yumi Asada, CNN Money, 13 June 2026
In the dead of night, the earth beneath Southern California buckled, shaking millions of people, damaging or destroying hundreds of buildings, breaking the California Aqueduct and sending more than a billion gallons of water flooding into an ancient desert lake bed.
—Shelby Grad, Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2026
But the bullpen picked him up with five scoreless innings until Bradgley Rodriguez buckled in the 10th inning and Matsui did the same in the 11th.
—Jeff Sanders, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 June 2026
Kim’s backing of Russia’s war with Ukraine has paid dividends, his weapons program has cemented North Korea’s status as a de facto nuclear state, and an economy that buckled under the pressure of pandemic isolation and sanctions has since rebounded.
—Stella Kim, NBC news, 8 June 2026
On a chilly January night in 2025, CATS bus driver Sheila Andrews buckled her seatbelt at the uptown Charlotte transit center as passengers boarded.
—Caitlin McGlade, Charlotte Observer, 2 June 2026
City information officer Jay Pelayo said that the building's walls and surrounding scaffolding buckled, trapping people in piles of debris, per the BBC.
—Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 24 May 2026
The shoes feature an open toe design with four criss cross straps over the toes and a thin and dainty buckled ankle strap.
—Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 18 May 2026
Another officer noticed one of the children was not properly buckled and was crying.
—Wcco Staff, CBS News, 14 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for buckled
Verb
-
On May 9, 1873—Black Friday—stocks collapsed, and fights broke out on the floor of the exchange, which was forced to close.—
John Cassidy,
New Yorker,
15 June 2026
-
Hundreds of people including athletes and politicians were at Jet Set when the roof collapsed, attending a concert by singer Rubby Pérez, who was among the victims.—
Martín Adames,
Los Angeles Times,
15 June 2026
Verb
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And with Father’s Day approaching on June 21, the department store devoted the windows at its 59th Street flagship on Wednesday to the brand and its Summers at Play campaign.—
Jean E. Palmieri,
Footwear News,
11 June 2026
-
After losing his re-election campaign in a three-way race, President Bush devoted much of the rest of his life to charitable endeavors.—
New York Times,
New York Times,
11 June 2026
Verb
-
The front of the sedan was crumpled.—
Tess Kenny,
Chicago Tribune,
10 June 2026
-
One of the victims fled to a McDonald's restaurant where his bloodstained clothes, which were likely cut off by paramedics, were crumpled on the floor near the entrance.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
7 June 2026
Verb
-
The flutist Denis Bouriakov and the bassoonist Whitney Crockett applied pinpoint dexterity to Paganini and Rossini, respectively.—
Alex Ross,
New Yorker,
15 June 2026
-
Three days after his arrest last August, Jasper applied for a hearing on the Missouri Department of Revenue’s one-year revocation of his license for allegedly refusing to submit to a chemical test.—
Judy L. Thomas,
Kansas City Star,
15 June 2026
Verb
-
Highflying names such as Nvidia and Broadcom slid as server maker Super Micro Computer tumbled 28% on a $7-billion stock sale plan, stoking fresh worries about an AI-fueled bubble.—
Stan Choe,
Los Angeles Times,
10 June 2026
-
Anglogold Ashanti tumbled nearly 7%, while Harmony Gold Mining and Gold Fields both lost roughly 6%.—
Michelle Fox,
CNBC,
10 June 2026
Verb
-
By leaving the floor immediately, Wembanyama gave critics an easy target and allowed the story to become about his temperament rather than the Knicks' championship celebration.—
Alejandro Avila OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
16 June 2026
-
The Royals even gave Spence a slim lead.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
16 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Buckled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/buckled. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
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