buckles 1 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of buckle
1
as in collapses
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

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in devotes
to occupy (oneself) diligently or with close attention buckled himself down and finished the assignment in record time

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

buckles

2 of 2

noun

plural of buckle
as in loops

Related 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 buckles
Verb
Building a support network well before senior year of high school can be the differentiator between a student who makes a confident, strategic choice of school and major, and one who buckles under the stress of the complex admissions landscape. — Christopher Rim, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026 To his yacht-aspiring wrist, the buyer buckles a Rolex Oyster Perpetual Explorer II, a watch designed to commemorate Sir Edmund Hillary’s 1953 summit of Everest. — Adam Erace, Fortune, 4 Apr. 2026 The word nearly buckles my knees. — Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 8 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for buckles
  1. collapses
  2. devotes
  3. loops
  4. tumbles
  5. applies
  6. folds
  7. bends
  8. swirls
Verb
  • The balls are coated in panko breadcrumbs, then fried until the golden shell just holds together, and collapses with the first bite.
    — Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 30 July 2026
  • Bishan Singh refuses to cross the border, lets out a cry, and collapses on the strip of land belonging to neither country.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 29 July 2026
Definition of collapses
Verb
  • The New Evidence also devotes time to the defense theory that Laci encountered the burglars who robbed the home of across-the-street neighbors Rudy and Susan Medina.
    — Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 18 July 2026
  • The North Dakota library, located near the national park gateway town of Medora, devotes a number of exhibits to Roosevelt’s commitment to protecting America’s vanishing wildlands and wild animals.
    — Andrew McKean, Outdoor Life, 2 July 2026
Definition of devotes
Noun
  • Ukraine demonstrates the power of short feedback loops, connecting operators, engineers, and government to quickly translate battlefield experience into technological advancements.
    — John Sviokla, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026
  • The points correspond to strands, while loops capture all possible interactions of those strands.
    — Lyndie Chiou, Scientific American, 24 July 2026
Definition of loops
Verb
  • The glowing ribbon of the Milky Way tumbles directly through this cosmic triangle before arcing towards the southern horizon, though its diffuse light will be hidden behind a veil of moonlight on the night of the full moon.
    — Anthony Wood, Space.com, 2 July 2026
  • Then the wisdom tumbles like Milk Duds fresh from the concessionaire.
    — Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 30 June 2026
Definition of tumbles
Verb
  • The measure applies to residential properties valued at more than $1 million, depending on the type of property, that are not the owner’s primary residence.
    — Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 29 July 2026
  • The same discipline applies one level up, to the model providers themselves.
    — Jason Snyder, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026
Definition of applies
Noun
  • The signature folds give trousers an effortlessly polished look that’s easy to dress up or down.
    — Destinee Scott, Travel + Leisure, 23 July 2026
  • Accordion-fold each strip three times into a triangle shape and insert a skewer through the center to hold folds together.
    — Better Homes & Gardens, Better Homes & Gardens, 22 July 2026
Definition of folds
Verb
  • When that many people are effectively self-funding their care, the market bends toward whatever makes cost predictable and navigation simple.
    — Forbes.com, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026
  • The story of McCarthy’s life was written on this winding street that snakes through a small, working-class corner of Pittsburgh where the Monongahela River bends.
    — Mike DeFabo, New York Times, 27 July 2026
Definition of bends
Noun
  • Such a beautiful sculpture, mimicking the swirls found in nature (the cosmos, shells, Fibonacci-following topiary) felt a far cry from the swirl of emotions prompted by my favorite TV shows.
    — Lara Johnson-Wheeler, Vogue, 3 July 2026
Definition of swirls

Browse Nearby Words

bucklers
buckles
buckles (down)
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Buckles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/buckles. Accessed 31 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on buckles

Nglish: Translation of buckles for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of comely

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

Your vs. You're: How to Use Them Correctly
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

The Words of the Week - Jul. 31

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
asap street sign
Figure Out These Acronyms ASAP You don't have to be a NASA engineer to get these...
See All