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
  • Its dewy coverage gives cheeks a bright, doll-like, natural flush that highlights the cheekbones and brightens complexions.
    — Irene Richardson, InStyle, 1 Aug. 2026
  • Saturated without feeling loud, the playful hue transforms the Moss table and chairs into a statement set that brightens the whole room (though a natural Birch finish is also available for color skeptics).
    — Vy Yang, Architectural Digest, 31 July 2026
Definition of brightens
Verb
  • Forbes Travel Guide’s second annual Edge List encourages discovery beyond the well-trodden path.
    — Forbes Travel Guide, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026
  • If parents need to contact their students, each district encourages them to reach out to the school’s office.
    — Taylor O'Connor, Kansas City Star, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of encourages
Verb
  • By contrast, a research assistant who simply looks up stock market data from Brazil, for example, could easily be replaced by AI.
    — Jason Ma, Fortune, 2 Aug. 2026
  • The stunner builds upon the boat builder’s existing Ultima 55 but adds a dose of Brabus’s propensity for dialing performance and looks up to 11.
    — Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 28 July 2026
Definition of looks up
Verb
  • In an interview with NPR, Padeu explained his art — and what inspires him.
    — Robbie Griffiths, NPR, 9 Aug. 2026
  • What terrifies you about this moment and inspires you about this moment?
    — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 7 Aug. 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 15 Aug. 2026.

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