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bucks up

verb

present tense third-person singular of buck up
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

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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
  1. brightens
  2. encourages
  3. looks up
  4. inspires
  5. bears up
Verb
  • There’s also caffeine, which brightens a tired-looking complexion and helps offset puffy undereyes.
    — Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Your 11th House of Friends and Community brightens, encouraging you to reconnect with allies and contribute your inventive angle.
    — Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of brightens
Verb
  • Anh’s protectiveness is apparent from the film’s start, including a scene in which Anh encourages Olive to sit with her in the front of their class.
    — Lexy Perez, HollywoodReporter, 23 Sep. 2026
  • Re-creating the Herculaneum scrolls To date, one entire scroll and passages from others have been deciphered, largely thanks to the Vesuvius Challenge, a project launched in 2023 that encourages researchers to decode scrolls for cash prizes.
    — Taylor Nicioli, CNN Money, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of encourages
Verb
  • As Antonio Silva looks up, Evanilson is between the two centre-backs.
    — Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026
  • In a photo from the proposal that the San Francisco 49ers linebacker shared on Instagram, the former Bachelor contestant is seen holding a red rose as Warner looks up at her from one knee.
    — Alexandra Schonfeld, PEOPLE, 13 Sep. 2026
Definition of looks up
Verb
  • Leslie, who led the Sparks to two WNBA championships, hopes her statue inspires young girls pursue their basketball dreams.
    — Jordan Puente, Los Angeles Times, 21 Sep. 2026
  • The promise of coffee inspires many of us to get out of bed in the morning.
    — Marie Bladt, Vogue, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of inspires
Verb
  • This annual migration has made nearby Churchill, Manitoba, an ideal destination for thousands of tourists each year who want to witness these bears up close.
    — Gloria Dickie, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Dec. 2021
Definition of bears up
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.

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buckskins
bucks up
buck up
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Cite this Entry

“Bucks up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bucks%20up. Accessed 26 Sep. 2026.

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