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Synonyms

buck for

Idioms  

  1. Strive for, aim for, as in She's bucking for Editor of the Year. Strongly associated with seeking a promotion in the military, this expression originated in the late 1800s and is now applied more widely.

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.

"The buck for this fiasco ultimately stops with the prime minister."

From BBC • Oct. 13, 2025

“They were willing to do whatever it took to make a buck for themselves.”

From Seattle Times • Nov. 2, 2023

"You want to have more duration on because that means you will get more bang for your buck for that interest rate move."

From Reuters • May 1, 2023

Her teachers call her “pretty girl,” and if I had a buck for every stranger who made a comment, I could quit my day job.

From Washington Post • Mar. 7, 2022

I gave her a buck for being so nice, but she wouldn't take it.

From "The Catcher in the Rye" by J. D. Salinger

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.