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
Relevance
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
Cal State simply wore down the Lumberjacks, beating their California Collegiate Athletic Association rivals in the second half, sending players in waves with Humboldt finally buckling under the pressure.
—
Jerry McDonald, Mercury News, 14 Mar. 2026
Their legs are buckling under the weight of point guard Rodney Rice’s injury and subsequent absence.
—Haley Sawyer, Oc Register, 27 Feb. 2026
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
Jerry McDonald, Mercury News, 14 Mar. 2026
Their legs are buckling under the weight of point guard Rodney Rice’s injury and subsequent absence.
—Haley Sawyer, Oc Register, 27 Feb. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for buckling
Verb
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Sloshing out from the inaccessible hearts of collapsing stars and from the tumultuous spacetime churnings of merging black holes and neutron stars, gravitational waves provide deep, fundamental insights about these faraway astrophysical systems that are otherwise unavailable.—
K. R. Callaway,
Scientific American,
17 Mar. 2026
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This one shows Peter Parker, out of costume, collapsing.—
Brendan Morrow,
USA Today,
17 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Tony has fully jumped into our theatre program devoting himself to straight plays and musical theatre.—
Heide Janssen,
Oc Register,
15 Mar. 2026
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After devoting much of his LACMA tenure to construction projects, Govan sounds ready to take off his hard hat.—
Julie Belcove,
Robb Report,
15 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The Material steak knives arrived sharp, slicing through a piece of paper rather than crumpling its edge.—
Emily Johnson,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
18 Mar. 2026
-
Kamau fading, then lunging, then crumpling to the pavement at the line.—
Kevin Sintumuang,
Outside,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
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That includes a new California bill, which attempts revive the mask restrictions by also applying them to state law enforcement officers.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
20 Mar. 2026
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In all, 34% of the total applications on hold are from people applying for green cards, immigrant visas, or citizenship, according to the Cato analysis, and roughly half are for work authorization permits.—
Syra Ortiz Blanes,
Miami Herald,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Since then, the hit-making producer has amassed billions of streams across streaming platforms with his genre-bending music.—
Maya Georgi,
Rolling Stone,
19 Mar. 2026
-
Earlier attempts tried bending devices or building 3D structures.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Spring has taken hold across Texas, with blooming flowers and budding trees signaling the season’s arrival — and giving families the perfect excuse to head out in search of scenic fields.—
Marley Malenfant,
Austin American Statesman,
20 Mar. 2026
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The split-screen dynamic is giving Republicans an early glimpse of what could become the party’s defining 2028 divide — one that may ultimately hinge on how the war unfolds.—
Samantha-Jo Roth,
The Washington Examiner,
20 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Buckling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/buckling. Accessed 22 Mar. 2026.
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