1
as in collapsing
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 devoting
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 buckling
Over the past year, spending has been uneven by income bracket, with the poorest Americans buckling under the weight of rising debt, a slowing labor market and cumulative inflation over the past several years.
—
Bryan Mena, CNN Money, 20 Feb. 2026
Carr suspects drought has something to do with it, a sign that the natural world is buckling under skyrocketing temperatures and reticent rains.
—Shi En Kim, AZCentral.com, 20 Feb. 2026
Our knees were buckling, and mud streaked our legs.
—Betsy Andrews, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Feb. 2026
At Storm King, Goldsworthy’s wall wends between trees, at points buckling where the roots have grown.
—Rebecca Mead, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026
Wet Drywall Soft spots or buckling on your drywall are another sign of potential home damage after a freeze.
—Molly Burford, Southern Living, 6 Feb. 2026
Today, that architecture is buckling.
—Philippe Bolopion, Time, 1 Feb. 2026
Riley Keough plays the titular, volatile lead singer of the Six, a massively popular ‘70s rock group that's buckling under interpersonal romances and jealousies.
—Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Jan. 2026
Schneider Electric’s future North American headquarters at Winthrop Center uses digital controls to consume 60% less electricity than a typical Boston office building, easing strain on a grid already buckling under the weight of data centers, electric vehicles, and electrified heating.
—Alan Ohnsman, Forbes.com, 26 Jan. 2026
Bryan Mena, CNN Money, 20 Feb. 2026
Carr suspects drought has something to do with it, a sign that the natural world is buckling under skyrocketing temperatures and reticent rains.
—Shi En Kim, AZCentral.com, 20 Feb. 2026
Our knees were buckling, and mud streaked our legs.
—Betsy Andrews, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Feb. 2026
At Storm King, Goldsworthy’s wall wends between trees, at points buckling where the roots have grown.
—Rebecca Mead, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026
Wet Drywall Soft spots or buckling on your drywall are another sign of potential home damage after a freeze.
—Molly Burford, Southern Living, 6 Feb. 2026
Today, that architecture is buckling.
—Philippe Bolopion, Time, 1 Feb. 2026
Riley Keough plays the titular, volatile lead singer of the Six, a massively popular ‘70s rock group that's buckling under interpersonal romances and jealousies.
—Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Jan. 2026
Schneider Electric’s future North American headquarters at Winthrop Center uses digital controls to consume 60% less electricity than a typical Boston office building, easing strain on a grid already buckling under the weight of data centers, electric vehicles, and electrified heating.
—Alan Ohnsman, Forbes.com, 26 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for buckling
Verb
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For an artist who has spent a lifetime collapsing the distance between art and life, this director’s cut is both summation and fresh invocation.—
Seth Abramovitch,
HollywoodReporter,
27 Feb. 2026
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But behind the scenes the company was collapsing and ultimately declared bankruptcy.—
Howard Blume,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
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For parents, devoting one-on-one time to children who are not in crisis, acknowledging their experiences, and validating their feelings without trying to fix them can make an enormous difference.—
Debra Manetta,
STAT,
26 Feb. 2026
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There are still young people out there who are devoting themselves to the craft.—
Outside,
Outside,
23 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The oar swung violently in its oarlock, knocking him into the river and crumpling the raft’s aluminum frame.—
Emilee Coblentz,
Outside,
11 Feb. 2026
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The sixth inning also featured a frightening moment when Cleveland’s David Fry, squaring around to bunt, took a 99 mph fastball from Skubal off his face, crumpling to the dirt as Skubal reacted with distress.—
Zack Meisel,
New York Times,
24 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Anthropic has been most focused on applying its technology to cybersecurity and has been one of the only advanced AI models available for use in classified operations.—
Reed Albergotti,
semafor.com,
28 Feb. 2026
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Ma is currently applying for political asylum in the US.—
Rebecca Wright,
CNN Money,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
At 24 inches long, the hot dog is too heavy to hold with both hands without bending under its own weight.—
Imelda García,
Dallas Morning News,
25 Feb. 2026
-
Ergonomic shovels that have a bend allow the shovel head to be closer to ground and can help minimize bending.—
Joe Dwinell,
Boston Herald,
23 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Occupational giving statistics more or less tracked with the postelection analysis of pundits.—
Robert Schmad,
The Washington Examiner,
27 Feb. 2026
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Islamabad blames Pakistani Taliban militants for much of that violence – and accuses Kabul of giving them shelter on its territory.—
Sophia Saifi,
CNN Money,
27 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Buckling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/buckling. Accessed 4 Mar. 2026.
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