buckle down

British  

verb

1. informal (intr, adverb) to apply oneself with determination

   to buckle down to a job

---

buckle down Idioms  

1. Set to work, apply oneself with determination, as in All right, we'll buckle down now and study for exams. Originating about 1700 as buckle to, the expression gained currency with the football song “Buckle-Down, Winsocki” (from the Broadway musical comedy Best Foot Forward, 1941). [Mid-1800s]

---

Example Sentences

Investors and consumers need to buckle down and brace for a lot more volatility ahead—especially when it comes to oil prices.

From Barron's • Mar. 21, 2026

“We’re just zoning in on that, and just the battle within ourselves. Like man we’ve gotta buckle down right, and we’ve gotta get this stuff done.”

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 12, 2025

“Let’s buckle down together, let’s remove barriers for each other and let’s go get it, all right?” he said to applause.

From The Wall Street Journal • Sep. 20, 2025

“Being a farmer, you have good years, you have bad years. When you have those bad years, you buckle down, and you work harder,” Bailey said.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 14, 2024

Fern had just come out in Lockhart, and it was time to buckle down to the business of meeting bachelors.

From "The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate" by Jacqueline Kelly