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
Relevance
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
-
Now, as March brightens into April, the half-dozen lawmakers charged with crafting that gargantuan document are nearly finished.—
The Denver Post,
Denver Post,
4 Apr. 2026 -
Lush, vibrant and full of life, California Tropicals instantly brightens any space while adding fresh, feel-good energy.—
Tory Johnson,
ABC News,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
His inept Cabinet ignores, and actually encourages, his very weird and embarrassing meandering.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Sarah Olim, a general dentist in Katy, Texas, encourages her patients to come in for visits every six months.—
Tribune News Service,
The Orlando Sentinel,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Dallas Stars left wing Jason Robertson looks up at the scoreboard during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Chicago Blackhawks at the American Airlines Center on Sunday, March 8, 2026, in Dallas.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Through two matches, SDFC looks up to the task.—
Eddie Brown,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
SciAm always educates and delights me, and inspires a sense of awe for our vast, beautiful universe.—
Jackie Flynn Mogensen,
Scientific American,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Office storage rarely inspires much emotion, but Audo Copenhagen’s Crescent system gets close.—
Nicole Hoey,
Robb Report,
31 Mar. 2026
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.
Cite this Entry
“Bucks up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bucks%20up. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
