1
as in brightens
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 encourages
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 bucks up
Verb
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Creative play brightens, and feelings gently soften as the Moon leaps into your 5th House of Affection.—
Tarot.com,
Baltimore Sun,
8 Jan. 2026 -
Seeking a vitamin C that brightens without irritation?—
Jackie Fields,
PEOPLE,
5 Jan. 2026
Verb
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And, adds Scott, with a smile, Billy (their French poodle who has appeared in this column before) encourages donations to animal protection organizations.—
Reader Commentary,
Baltimore Sun,
30 Jan. 2026
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Days ahead of the 2026 Grammys, Elton John encourages young artists to follow their dreams while introducing the Best New Artist nominees in a short film from Spotify.—
Angie Martoccio,
Rolling Stone,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Cumberland Gap Where Tennessee, Kentucky, and Virginia meet, Cumberland Gap sits in a valley that looks up at the famous gap in the Cumberland Mountain range from which the town gets its name.—
Tara Massouleh McCay,
Southern Living,
8 Jan. 2026
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The old, wrinkled one looks up at Helm’s mountain, at the sky above its summit.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Part of the writer’s job—well, maybe all of it—is to leave behind a text that inspires feeling and debate.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Jan. 2026
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Artificial intelligence inspires both excitement and anxiety, and few people are as well equipped to separate signal from noise as Rajeev Kapur.—
Rodger Dean Duncan,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Bucks up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bucks%20up. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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