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
Verb
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The colorful evergreen foliage provides a warm winter welcome in porch planters and brightens patio plantings all year long.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
6 Nov. 2025 -
At the cocktail bar Muamba, owner Yvens Penna brightens a classic margarita with homemade chicória soda crafted from a pungent local herb that tastes like cilantro on steroids.—
Michael Snyder,
Travel + Leisure,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Besides the gleaming blue hull, the 60-footer has an open layout that encourages sociability while promoting privacy in areas like the sunbed at the stern or foredeck lounge.—
Michael Verdon,
Robb Report,
7 Nov. 2025
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Each troll has a name and a story that encourages nature exploration and ultimately finding ways to protect the earth.—
Khadejeh Nikouyeh,
Charlotte Observer,
7 Nov. 2025
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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SciAm always educates and delights me, and inspires a sense of awe for our vast, beautiful universe.—
Jackie Flynn Mogensen,
Scientific American,
9 Jan. 2026
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The sales pitch rhetoric inspires few.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
8 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 10 Jan. 2026.
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