buckle

American  

[buhk-uhl] / ˈbʌk əl /

noun

1. 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.

2. any similar contrivance used for such purposes.

3. an ornament of metal, beads, etc., of similar appearance.

4. a bend, bulge, or kink, as in a board or saw blade.

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verb (used with object)

buckled, buckling

1. to fasten with a buckle or buckles.

   Buckle your seat belt.

2. to shrivel, by applying heat or pressure; bend; curl.

3. to prepare (oneself ) for action; apply (oneself ) vigorously to something.

4. to bend, warp, or cause to give way suddenly, as with heat or pressure.

   Synonyms:

   collapse, crumple, twist, bulge, sag

verb (used without object)

buckled, buckling

1. to close or fasten with a buckle.

   Grandmother always wore shoes that buckled.

2. to prepare oneself or apply oneself.

   The student buckled to the lesson.

3. to bend, warp, bulge, or collapse.

   The bridge buckled in the storm.

4. 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

1. buckle up to fasten one's belt, seat belt, or buckles.

   She won't start the car until we've all buckled up.

2. 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.

buckle British  

/ ˈbʌkəl /

noun

1. a clasp for fastening together two loose ends, esp of a belt or strap, usually consisting of a frame with an attached movable prong

2. an ornamental representation of a buckle, as on a shoe

3. a kink, bulge, or other distortion

   a buckle in a railway track

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verb

1. to fasten or be fastened with a buckle

2. to bend or cause to bend out of shape, esp as a result of pressure or heat

Other Word Forms

• buckleless adjective
• rebuckle verb

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."

Example Sentences

"You have to buckle in and do what you can," he said.

From BBC • Apr. 14, 2026

Bank stocks are looking like a steal right now, especially as they benefit from—not buckle under—artificial intelligence.

From Barron's • Mar. 10, 2026

Johnson, like many, gasped when she saw Vonn’s knee buckle slightly on a jump during training Saturday.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 7, 2026

Although the term is clinically obsolete, examples of male peacocking are as close as the nearest bejeweled Patek Philippe, sterling-silver rodeo belt buckle or jumped-up, gold-plated pickup.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 6, 2026

He was trying to take off his worn leather belt but fumbled with the buckle.

From "We'll Fly Away" by Bryan Bliss

Related Words

• bend
• cave in
• crumple
• fold
• twist