buckle
Americannoun
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buckles
plural
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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.
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any similar contrivance used for such purposes.
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an ornament of metal, beads, etc., of similar appearance.
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a bend, bulge, or kink, as in a board or saw blade.
verb (used with object)
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buckles,
present (3rd person singular)
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buckled,
past participle, past
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buckling
present participle
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to fasten with a buckle or buckles.
Buckle your seat belt.
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to shrivel, by applying heat or pressure; bend; curl.
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to prepare (oneself ) for action; apply (oneself ) vigorously to something.
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to bend, warp, or cause to give way suddenly, as with heat or pressure.
verb (used without object)
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buckles,
present (3rd person singular)
-
buckled,
past participle, past
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buckling
present participle
-
to close or fasten with a buckle.
Grandmother always wore shoes that buckled.
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to prepare oneself or apply oneself.
The student buckled to the lesson.
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to bend, warp, bulge, or collapse.
The bridge buckled in the storm.
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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
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buckle up to fasten one's belt, seat belt, or buckles.
She won't start the car until we've all buckled up.
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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.
noun
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a clasp for fastening together two loose ends, esp of a belt or strap, usually consisting of a frame with an attached movable prong
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an ornamental representation of a buckle, as on a shoe
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a kink, bulge, or other distortion
a buckle in a railway track
verb
-
to fasten or be fastened with a buckle
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to bend or cause to bend out of shape, esp as a result of pressure or heat
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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bucklesimple
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bucklessimple
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have buckledperfect
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has buckledperfect
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am bucklingprogressive
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are bucklingprogressive
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is bucklingprogressive
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have been bucklingperfect progressive
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has been bucklingperfect progressive
Past
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buckledsimple
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had buckledperfect
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was bucklingprogressive
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were bucklingprogressive
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had been bucklingperfect progressive
Future
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."
Vocabulary lists containing buckle
The SAT: Multiple-Meaning Words, List 6
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
The New SAT: Multiple-Meaning Words
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
The ACT Reading Test: Multiple-Meaning Words, List 6
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
See Examples For:
While some enjoyed the sunshine, the heat caused trains, schools and emergency services to buckle.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
Each side has concluded its best course is to resume the conflict at a low level while waiting for the other to buckle, analysts said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026
Balogun was sent off after his foot landed on the ankle of Bosnia's Tarik Muharemovic, causing it to buckle.
From BBC ● Jul. 6, 2026
Depending on the situation, the material can bend, buckle, or stiffen in different ways, all without electronics, sensors, or active control systems.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 11, 2026
Hearing bad news about Thaya Jaan makes my knees start to buckle, like they might stop working to keep my legs straight.
From "Amina's Song" by Hena Khan
“We need more cowboy hats and belt buckles in Washington,” he wrote in a campaign post on July 15.
From Slate ● Jul. 23, 2026
Prime Minister Mark Carney has unveiled a plan to bolster Canada's car industry and support its electric vehicle transition, as the sector buckles under the weight of US tariffs.
From BBC ● Feb. 5, 2026
As much of Europe buckles under the weight of mass tourism, Georgia is only now getting in on the action in earnest.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2025
He trains hard, mentally prepares himself and still buckles to fear.
From Salon ● Aug. 24, 2025
So was his tie pin, the Kaelish coin pendant he wore for luck, and the gold buckles on his shoes.
From "Six of Crows" by Leigh Bardugo
I had only ever seen him on Zoom, and although he was tall, which was nice, I tried not to judge his brown cracked-leather buckled pilgrim shoes paired with high-waist Wrangler jeans.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 2026
Elsewhere, vehicles on a two-lane road were seen carefully navigating sections of buckled pavement.
From Barron's ● Jul. 29, 2026
The sky was the limit for turning offices into apartments – until some columns buckled.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 17, 2026
After the two steel columns buckled and several floors of the building began to sag, nine surrounding buildings were evacuated and emergency responders blocked off the streets amid morning rush hour.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026
He had kneeled next to Derek almost all night, and when he tried to stand, his knees almost buckled.
From "The River" by Gary Paulsen
A few takeaways: Companies are buckling up for a higher-yield environment; spreads—the amount a company pays above a benchmark Treasury—may widen; and those issuing debt may do so with shorter, cheaper, maturities.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026
Christine Ji and Hannah Pedone looked into the reasons for the buckling AI trade, with more than two-thirds of stocks in the S&P 500 information technology sector down at least 20% from their recent highs.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 10, 2026
National Rail explained that heat can cause a number of issues including overhead lines expanding and rails buckling.
From BBC ● Jun. 23, 2026
With Cuba's economy buckling five months into a US-imposed fuel blockade, and the national housing deficit running to over 900,000 units, authorities say a quick fix is unlikely.
From Barron's ● Jun. 17, 2026
Liam ran through his usual routine of checking the mirrors’ position, adjusting the recline of his seat, buckling himself in, and turning the keys in the ignition.
From "The Darkest Minds" by Alexandra Bracken
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.
