1
as in to collapse
to fall down or in as a result of physical pressure
the flimsy bridge buckled under the weight of the caravan of trucks
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to devote
to occupy (oneself) diligently or with close attention
buckled himself down and finished the assignment in record time
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of buckle
ABC News, 22 Mar. 2026
Cal State simply wore down the Lumberjacks, beating their California Collegiate Athletic Association rivals in the second half, sending players in waves with Humboldt finally buckling under the pressure.
—Jerry McDonald, Mercury News, 14 Mar. 2026
Amelia McBride, Travel + Leisure, 13 Mar. 2026
Metiers d’Art 2026 show, paired with a white t-shirt under a red v-neck sweater, blue jeans with a statement crystal buckle belt, red Oxford shoes, and Ray-Bans.
—Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 11 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for buckle
Verb
Tagliafico was sent off in the 89th for a violent lunge on Lamine Camara, whose left foot buckled under him.
—ABC News, 22 Mar. 2026
Cal State simply wore down the Lumberjacks, beating their California Collegiate Athletic Association rivals in the second half, sending players in waves with Humboldt finally buckling under the pressure.
—Jerry McDonald, Mercury News, 14 Mar. 2026
Noun
On sale in multiple spring shades—including Old Rose and Pure Sage—these two-strap sandals feature oversized, eye-catching buckle closures and are constructed with 100-percent renewable and sustainable materials.
—Amelia McBride, Travel + Leisure, 13 Mar. 2026
Metiers d’Art 2026 show, paired with a white t-shirt under a red v-neck sweater, blue jeans with a statement crystal buckle belt, red Oxford shoes, and Ray-Bans.
—Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 11 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for buckle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for buckle
Verb
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The innermost rim formed later, when a mountain at the crater’s center collapsed.—
Meghan Bartels,
Scientific American,
4 Apr. 2026
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Eventually, Pearlene collapsed and died inside a makeshift bathroom in the family’s trailer, which had no running water or electricity.—
Angel Saunders,
PEOPLE,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Illinois devotes significant resources to recruiting overseas to bring in their large international contingent — including Croatian twin centers Tomislav and Zvonimir Ivišić and freshman forward David Mirković.—
Colleen Kane,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Mar. 2026
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Aleksei stopped working and devoted his full attention to his sons and their hockey development, leaving Olga to support the family.—
Arpon Basu,
New York Times,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Denver metro test drive loop My drives with the Prius covered much of the South Denver metro area, including stretches of C-470 and E-470, where steady highway cruising allowed the hybrid system to show off its efficiency.—
Sponsored Content,
Denver Post,
4 Apr. 2026
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Tie it to your handbag or belt loop instead.—
Emily Weaver,
PEOPLE,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Could a straighter road make cars go faster?—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
30 Mar. 2026
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To meet his growing costs, Meraj had increased the price of a cup of tea from ten rupees to fifteen, a fifty-per-cent rise (in New York terms, like a cup of drip coffee going from just shy of four dollars to nearly six overnight).—
Nathan Heller,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The Financially Distressed City Law allows home-rule municipalities in the top 5% of tax rates and the bottom 5% of tax income per capita to apply for fiscal relief via a state takeover of finances.—
Evy Lewis,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Apr. 2026
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The change will not apply to customers who bought tickets before Friday, April 3, the airline said.—
Jordan Freiman,
CBS News,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The pleats are made from multiple fabric folds and bunched together to create fullness.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
30 Mar. 2026
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To him, the vision seemed right — not in the specific locations activated by various themes but in the sense that our neuroanatomy did seem to parse the world by subject, tangles and folds of neurons lighting up in response to clouds of ideas.—
Eric Boodman,
Vulture,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
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With its latest app update, American is now giving customers a fuller explanation behind every delay and cancellation.—
Zach Wichter,
USA Today,
1 Apr. 2026
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Another version used the bubble-wand photo to give Graham a pink Cinderella-style dress and a set of Mini Mouse ears, complete with perky red bow.—
Theresa Braine,
New York Daily News,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The spiral of death & destruction must stop now.—
Kevin Collier,
NBC news,
2 Apr. 2026
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At the end of the film on the beach, there’s a little moment when his legs fold around himself in a spiral, like a cinnamon bun, which was done on the reference table.—
Emma Forgione,
Vulture,
31 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Buckle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/buckle. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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