BUCKED UP Synonyms: 61 Similar and Opposite Words

bucked up

verb

past tense of buck up

as in brightened

to become glad or hopeful buck up, kids, it's not so bad as you're making it out to be

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as in inspired

to fill with courage or strength of purpose a surprise presidential visit to buck up the troops

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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 bucked up While waiting for help, stay bucked up inside your vehicle. — Anna Kleiber, jsonline.com, 15 Oct. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for bucked up

Verb

Soft yellow and tricolors of the French flag brightened the palette.

— Rhonda Richford, Footwear News, 9 Oct. 2026
The green is equally luscious in texture, made with chicken thigh and skin, but intensely herbaceous, brightened with parsley, cilantro, poblano and jalapeño.

— Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of brightened

Verb

Eight finalists will compete in a series of challenges inspired by the skills required to make each and every order.

— Mya Copeland, Variety, 16 Oct. 2026
Technology’s impact on the shrinking media landscape inspired The Devil Wears Prada 2, which reunited Tucci with costars Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, and his real-life sister-in-law Emily Blunt.

— Savannah Walsh, Vanity Fair, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of inspired

Verb

With The Keepers, Black Tomato co-founder Tom Marchant predicts that in a world where nearly anything can be looked up or generated in seconds, human knowledge and connection are the ultimate luxuries.

— Jen Murphy, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Oct. 2026
The dressing room was now populated by brightly dressed women, all of whom looked up from applying makeup to stare tightly at her in the doorframe.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of looked up

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bucked

bucked up

bucket

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“Bucked up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bucked%20up. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of bucked up

verb

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