BUCKS UP Synonyms: 61 Similar and Opposite Words

bucks up

verb

present tense third-person singular of buck up

as in brightens

to become glad or hopeful buck up, kids, it's not so bad as you're making it out to be

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in encourages

to fill with courage or strength of purpose a surprise presidential visit to buck up the troops

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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 bucks up Davidsen bucks up her balky husband with a bloodthirsty holler, stiffens her voice against doubt, and, in her final sleepwalking scene, taps into the tender stratum of Lady Macbeth’s subconscious. — Justin Davidson, Vulture, 23 Sep. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for bucks up

Verb

The star brightens again when the spots rotate back out of view.

— Phil Plait, Scientific American, 9 Oct. 2026
White wine brightens without dominating the flavors, whole milk adds richness while helping tenderize the beef, and a pinch of nutmeg adds subtle warmth.

— Andy Baraghani, Bon Appetit Magazine, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of brightens

Verb

Applied to a solo outing, that approach encourages diners to appreciate the meal in front of them instead of scrolling through their phones.

— Ashley Lynch, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Oct. 2026
Jordan says a recent guideline change encourages doctors to diagnose and treat sooner based on symptoms.

— Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of encourages

Verb

At Cornell’s Student & Campus Life Center, a junior working the front desk looks up from her laptop, covered in colorful Bible-verse stickers, to nervously answer a few questions.

— Savannah Walsh, Vanity Fair, 14 Oct. 2026
As Antonio Silva looks up, Evanilson is between the two centre-backs.

— Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of looks up

Verb

There is a near-identical robot to be found at Jalsa, an Indian restaurant in my Brooklyn neighborhood, where its presence inspires the same frisson of novelty as a hands-off steering wheel.

— Molly Fischer, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
This inspires Other Mommy to gruesomely kill Frank in front of Bela, including blowing his head up in an outrageous explosion of blood.

— William Earl, Variety, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of inspires

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buckskins

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buck up

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“Bucks up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bucks%20up. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of bucks up

verb

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