buckle up

Idioms

Fasten a seat belt, as in All the children must learn to buckle up as soon as they get in a car. This term came into wide use in the second half of the 1900s, when seat belts became mandatory automobile equipment. Earlier they had been used mainly in airplanes.

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 BOJ will probably have to sit on its hands and buckle up for unwelcome downside JPY volatility,” Varathan adds.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 28, 2026

Yet if the first month of 2026 can be any guide to the rest of the year, investors might want to buckle up.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 1, 2026

The consultant says he predicts 2026 will be the year of AI dominated content on social media, adding: "If you thought that AI animal content was quirky, I think buckle up".

From BBC • Nov. 28, 2025

With President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping set to meet next week, investors should buckle up for more crazy trading.

From Barron's • Oct. 24, 2025

“You’re lucky to have a friend like Erin,” Coach says as we get into his truck and buckle up.

From "Boy21" by Matthew Quick

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023