buckle
Americannoun
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buckles
plural
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a clasp consisting of a rectangular or curved rim with one or more movable tongues, fixed to one end of a belt or strap, used for fastening to the other end of the same strap or to another strap.
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any similar contrivance used for such purposes.
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an ornament of metal, beads, etc., of similar appearance.
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a bend, bulge, or kink, as in a board or saw blade.
verb (used with object)
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buckles,
present (3rd person singular)
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buckled,
past participle, past
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buckling
present participle
-
to fasten with a buckle or buckles.
Buckle your seat belt.
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to shrivel, by applying heat or pressure; bend; curl.
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to prepare (oneself ) for action; apply (oneself ) vigorously to something.
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to bend, warp, or cause to give way suddenly, as with heat or pressure.
verb (used without object)
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buckles,
present (3rd person singular)
-
buckled,
past participle, past
-
buckling
present participle
-
to close or fasten with a buckle.
Grandmother always wore shoes that buckled.
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to prepare oneself or apply oneself.
The student buckled to the lesson.
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to bend, warp, bulge, or collapse.
The bridge buckled in the storm.
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to yield, surrender, or give way to another (often followed byunder ).
She refused to take the medicine, but buckled under when the doctor told her to.
verb phrase
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buckle up to fasten one's belt, seat belt, or buckles.
She won't start the car until we've all buckled up.
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buckle down to set to work with vigor; concentrate on one's work.
He was by nature a daydreamer and found it hard to buckle down.
noun
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a clasp for fastening together two loose ends, esp of a belt or strap, usually consisting of a frame with an attached movable prong
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an ornamental representation of a buckle, as on a shoe
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a kink, bulge, or other distortion
a buckle in a railway track
verb
-
to fasten or be fastened with a buckle
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to bend or cause to bend out of shape, esp as a result of pressure or heat
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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bucklesimple
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bucklessimple
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have buckledperfect
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has buckledperfect
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am bucklingprogressive
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are bucklingprogressive
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is bucklingprogressive
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have been bucklingperfect progressive
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has been bucklingperfect progressive
Past
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buckledsimple
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had buckledperfect
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was bucklingprogressive
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were bucklingprogressive
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had been bucklingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of buckle
1300–50; Middle English bocle < Anglo-French bo ( u ) cle, bucle < Latin buc ( c ) ula cheekpiece (of a helmet), strip of wood, etc., resembling a cheekpiece, equivalent to bucc ( a ) cheek + -ula -ule
Explanation
A buckle is a clasp or fastener, such as the one on the end of a belt. In the old days, not only belts but also shoes had buckles. When you fasten your belt buckle, you can say you buckle it — you also buckle your seat belt and buckle a kid's bike helmet under his chin. When the ground buckles during an earthquake, it folds or bends out of shape, and when your knees buckle, you could fall. You might also buckle under pressure or stress. The Latin root word is buccula, "cheek strap of a helmet."
Vocabulary lists containing buckle
The SAT: Multiple-Meaning Words, List 6
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
The New SAT: Multiple-Meaning Words
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
The ACT Reading Test: Multiple-Meaning Words, List 6
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Higher insurance costs could cause some homeowners to buckle under the financial pressure, Cotality said.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 23, 2026
However, as the jet stream starts to buckle through the second half of the weekend the weather will slowly being to calm down.
From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026
That physical constraint causes the growing body to buckle and twist into a right-handed coil.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 1, 2026
Some of that extra weight was what caused the steel beams to buckle, Nathan Berman, managing principal and founder of MetroLoft, told The Wall Street Journal on Tuesday.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026
He had cut it off short, and as Faro ate he slipped it around the dog’s neck and fastened the buckle.
From "Z for Zachariah" by Robert C. O’Brien
"So they detach the slow-growing gut, which is now tethering the lengthening body. The body buckles and twists into coiling," Miyashita explains.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 1, 2026
“We need more cowboy hats and belt buckles in Washington,” he wrote in a campaign post on July 15.
From Slate ● Jul. 23, 2026
As the state-backed property giant buckles under the weight of its debt, the government has so far refrained from stepping in.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 22, 2025
At the commission's headquarters near Arras, Stephan showed us trays of objects which had been found there, including parts of boots, rusted belt buckles, shoulder badges, buttons and regimental insignia.
From BBC ● Sep. 26, 2025
His dagger went on one hip, his longsword on the other, hung from a white leather belt with golden buckles.
From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin
UCLA’s offense got off to a sluggish start against San Diego State, but its defense never buckled and the Bruins eventually earned a lopsided win.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2026
The last remaining big Wall Street holdouts have buckled under.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 15, 2026
Elsewhere, vehicles on a two-lane road were seen carefully navigating sections of buckled pavement.
From Barron's ● Jul. 29, 2026
Inspectors issue stop-work order at planned 32-story apartment tower in Manhattan, carrying out safety sweeps after former Pfizer headquarters building buckled.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026
The wheel on that side had buckled, so the plane sat at a crazy angle, the opposite wing high in the air.
From "My Life with the Chimpanzees" by Jane Goodall
Christine Ji and Hannah Pedone looked into the reasons for the buckling AI trade, with more than two-thirds of stocks in the S&P 500 information technology sector down at least 20% from their recent highs.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 10, 2026
National Rail explained that heat can cause a number of issues including overhead lines expanding and rails buckling.
From BBC ● Jun. 23, 2026
With Cuba's economy buckling five months into a US-imposed fuel blockade, and the national housing deficit running to over 900,000 units, authorities say a quick fix is unlikely.
From Barron's ● Jun. 17, 2026
Forcing it to blink is not a costless enterprise, but buckling is not costless either.
From Slate ● May 18, 2026
Now imagine that they start shaking you so fast the world starts bulging and buckling under you.
From "The Darkest Minds" by Alexandra Bracken
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
