buckle down

British  

verb

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

   to buckle down to a job

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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]

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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

If she can find a path to collective resilience in these dark times, I’d better suit up and buckle down.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 30, 2026

“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

“It’s not just that you’re ‘bad at math’ and need to buckle down and try harder.”

From Washington Times • Oct. 17, 2023

Crick could then buckle down to his thesis task of investigating the ways that hemoglobin crystals shrink when they are placed in salt solutions of different density.

From "Double Helix" by James D. Watson