1
as in collapsing
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 devoting
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 buckling
Critical infrastructure, including hospitals, is also buckling, and doctors are struggling to provide even basic medical care.
—
Jeronimo Gonzalez, semafor.com, 14 May 2026
Transmission and cost crunch The physical grid is buckling under the same pressure.
—Tejasri Gururaj, Interesting Engineering, 24 Apr. 2026
Retí’s is the standout performance, cogently mapping a mother’s tenacity buckling under a mounting feeling of helplessness at watching her child disappear into a mystery.
—Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 16 Apr. 2026
Outcry over the funding cuts prompted Republican lawmakers to create $50 billion in new rural health grants, but critics say that funding is intended for innovative health care delivery solutions — not propping up hospitals buckling under current pressures.
—ABC News, 3 Apr. 2026
Its walls of red brick had grown thicker after years of gunked ink, the slats of its wooden floors were wildly uneven beneath the buckling weight of antiquated iron machines.
—Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 26 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
Their legs are buckling under the weight of point guard Rodney Rice’s injury and subsequent absence.
—Haley Sawyer, Oc Register, 27 Feb. 2026
Carr suspects drought has something to do with it, a sign that the natural world is buckling under skyrocketing temperatures and reticent rains.
—Shi En Kim, AZCentral.com, 20 Feb. 2026
Jeronimo Gonzalez, semafor.com, 14 May 2026
Transmission and cost crunch The physical grid is buckling under the same pressure.
—Tejasri Gururaj, Interesting Engineering, 24 Apr. 2026
Retí’s is the standout performance, cogently mapping a mother’s tenacity buckling under a mounting feeling of helplessness at watching her child disappear into a mystery.
—Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 16 Apr. 2026
Outcry over the funding cuts prompted Republican lawmakers to create $50 billion in new rural health grants, but critics say that funding is intended for innovative health care delivery solutions — not propping up hospitals buckling under current pressures.
—ABC News, 3 Apr. 2026
Its walls of red brick had grown thicker after years of gunked ink, the slats of its wooden floors were wildly uneven beneath the buckling weight of antiquated iron machines.
—Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 26 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
Their legs are buckling under the weight of point guard Rodney Rice’s injury and subsequent absence.
—Haley Sawyer, Oc Register, 27 Feb. 2026
Carr suspects drought has something to do with it, a sign that the natural world is buckling under skyrocketing temperatures and reticent rains.
—Shi En Kim, AZCentral.com, 20 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for buckling
Verb
-
There have been 22 reports of the stools collapsing, with six injuries, including bruising and scrapes.—
Charna Flam,
PEOPLE,
15 May 2026
-
Cuba’s economy, which has been in a steep decline for several years, has hit rock bottom, and the population has been enduring shortages, blackouts and the effects of collapsing infrastructure.—
Nora Gámez Torres,
Miami Herald,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
In his junior year, Jeffries, who majored in political science, began devoting the bulk of his extracurricular energies to the university’s Black Student Union.—
Jason Zengerle,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
-
Annie’s mother moved the agency out in 2013 and Annie took the front room as her own bedroom and living room, devoting the rest of the apartment to the growing dog-training business.—
Anne Kadet,
Curbed,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
Moses Moody scored 23 points before crumpling to the floor with an apparently serious left knee injury late in overtime as the Golden State Warriors beat Dallas 137-131 on Monday night, extending the Mavericks' home losing streak to 12 games, their longest in 32 years.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
24 Mar. 2026
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Late on, with the game already won, James Garner and substitute Merlin Rohl chased Enzo Fernandez, sending him crumpling to the turf.—
Patrick Boyland,
New York Times,
22 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Some portion of eligible people are probably discouraged from applying at all, believing the lottery system to be rigged or pointless.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
15 May 2026
-
And if the cabinet grandfathers only the HS classes of 2024 and 2025 while applying the new rule to 2026 graduates, an entire cohort gets jammed onto the same clock as players one and two years older—a cliff disguised as a transition.—
Daryl G. Jones,
Sportico.com,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
If something about the now-problematic gender-bending killer of Camp Miasma reminds you of 1983’s Sleepaway Camp, Schoenbrun is not coy about the parallel.—
Richard Lawson,
HollywoodReporter,
13 May 2026
-
The galaxy's red and orange spiral arms bending outward can measure tens or even hundreds of light-years across.—
Chelsea Gohd,
Space.com,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
And the end came well before midnight, with goals by Mitch Marner and Brett Howden in the first 8½ minutes giving Vegas a commanding lead before many in the late-arriving weeknight crowd had made it to their seats at the Honda Center.—
Kevin Baxter,
Los Angeles Times,
15 May 2026
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Las Vegas moved on from the quarterback this offseason in favor of Cousins and Mendoza, less than a year after giving Smith more than $58 million guaranteed.—
Sam Warren,
New York Times,
15 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Buckling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/buckling. Accessed 22 May. 2026.
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