buck up

verb

Definition of buck upnext
1
as in to brighten
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 to encourage
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

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.
Recent Examples of buck up Signal flares shot into the social media sky are meant to jumpstart conversations with coaches needing to plug holes or buck up slouching fan bases. — Brian Davis, Houston Chronicle, 2 Jan. 2026 While waiting for help, stay bucked up inside your vehicle. — Anna Kleiber, jsonline.com, 15 Oct. 2025 Defense gonna have to buck up yet again. — Joe Nguyen, Denver Post, 21 Sep. 2025 And then, over the course of the six episodes, Julie does encourage him to buck up at a little bit. — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 25 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for buck up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for buck up
  1. brighten
  2. encourage
  3. look up
  4. inspire
  5. glow
  6. bear up
  7. revive
Verb
  • Phase 2 begins when the fragment reaches denser air, and the meteor begins to brighten.
    — Robert Lea, Space.com, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Apply this in the morning to brighten your skin and protect it from environmental stressors.
    — Maggie Ryan, Flow Space, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of brighten
Verb
  • By taking stem cells from a host’s own body and encouraging them to differentiate before mixing them with a commercially available, soluble matrix gel, researchers may have cracked the most critical problems in the transplant process.
    — Mike McRae September 02, New Atlas, 3 Sep. 2026
  • The bark can also be stripped from the branch, called girdling, which encourages faster root growth.
    — Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of encourage
Verb
  • In Georgia, officer Sierra Carroll used Flock to look up a single license plate more than 4,000 times over a 16-month span while employed by the Perry Police Department, USA TODAY’s analysis found.
    — Kenny Jacoby, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026
  • August has been filled with exciting space news, giving skywatchers plenty of reasons to look up.
    — Tiffany Acosta, AZCentral.com, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of look up
Verb
  • Chelsea, despite missing out on a late move for Lamine Camara, and Tottenham have improved considerably, but that is more a reflection of previous dysfunction — and a lighter schedule — than inspired recruitment.
    — Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 2 Sep. 2026
  • The museum plaza’s sweeping bridge creates a canopy of welcoming shade (inspired by Expo Park’s own trees), which the city — particularly this part — desperately needs.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of inspire
Verb
  • Still, given the national attention given last winter to the air conditioning not working properly in an Angel Stadium weight room, Neto said the evaluation from the Rams’ locker room was glowing.
    — Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026
  • The best body scrubs are a cheat code to achieving healthy, glowing skin fast.
    — Alanna Martine Kilkeary, Glamour, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of glow
Verb
  • It can also be used as a bench, bearing up to 355 pounds.
    — Caitlyn Martyn may earn a commission if you buy through our referral links. This content was created by a team that works independently from the Fox newsroom., FOXNews.com, 11 Aug. 2025
  • In 1970, the average Chinese woman was expected to bear up to six children throughout her lifetime.
    — Micah McCartney, Newsweek, 22 Jan. 2025
Definition of bear up
Verb
  • Oil's surge also revived rate-hike jitters, snapping the market's otherwise calm run through a fifth straight winning month.
    — Anniek Bao, CNBC, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Mitsubishi is reviving its Pajero nameplate as a flagship three-row SUV for the 2027 model year.
    — Charles Singh, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of revive

Browse Nearby Words

bucks up
buck up
bucolic
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Cite this Entry

“Buck up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/buck%20up. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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