as in to apply (oneself)
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Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for buckle (down)
Verb
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Among left-on-left matchups, Crow-Armstrong has seen the fourth-most pitches in the majors.—
Meghan Montemurro,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Apr. 2026 -
Their 10-year-old daughter has already pitched in to help welcome her brothers home.—
Ryan Brennan
April 29,
Miami Herald,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Teams will use the five-week gap between the races in Japan and Miami to knuckle down at their factories and develop car upgrades that could boost their fortunes upon returning to the track in May.—
Luke Smith,
New York Times,
8 Apr. 2026
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In survival mode, many brands have been forced to knuckle down and fortify their business strategies, in hopes of setting them up for success against a difficult backdrop.—
Madeleine Schulz,
Vogue,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
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These gingham palazzo pants boast a stretchy, elastic waistband that won’t dig in or cause irritation, and their flowy design offers some ease and relaxation on stressful travel days.—
Merrell Readman,
Travel + Leisure,
25 Apr. 2026
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Even without the custom wrapping, just showing up ready to dig in the dirt with her — planting flowers, pulling weeds or repotting something together — turns an ordinary afternoon into quality time.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Sacbee.com,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Magadan had a deadly reputation in the Stalin era, as a hub for Gulag mines where political prisoners slaved sometimes to death and produced gold and other minerals in the process.—
Ian Frazier,
New Yorker,
19 Jan. 2026
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Po’s journey begins while slaving away at his boring noodle job on the day the Dragon Warrior is to be chosen.—
Skyler Trepel,
Entertainment Weekly,
25 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Blow-dry bangs away from the face with a round brush or Velcro rollers for effortless-looking volume.—
Ariel Wodarcyk,
InStyle,
7 Apr. 2026
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Brian Cashman gets it all the time, but good, from Yankee fans; for them, banging away at Cashman on social media feels like the real national pastime.—
Mike Lupica,
New York Daily News,
16 Aug. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Buckle (down).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/buckle%20%28down%29. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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