buckled

verb

past tense of buckle
1
as in collapsed
to fall down or in as a result of physical pressure the flimsy bridge buckled under the weight of the caravan of trucks

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in devoted
to occupy (oneself) diligently or with close attention buckled himself down and finished the assignment in record time

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of buckled New supports were put in on July 8, 2026 after a structural column buckled in the former Pfizer headquarters the day before. — Aziza Shuler, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026 The Lorenzo can be worn two ways, with or without a fine leather strap threaded through the gold Eye of the Needle, which can be buckled across the foot to create a leg-lengthening effect. — Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 15 Oct. 2026 The historic Long Beach boardwalk buckled after a barrage of storms over the last month. — Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 12 Oct. 2026 Barkov fell to the ice after a board battle with Sharks defenseman Darnell Nurse and forward Zack Ostapchuk as his left leg buckled. — Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 6 Oct. 2026 The broad officer’s belt was buckled on one of the first holes. — Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, New Yorker, 27 Sep. 2026 While the epicenter was located in Nantou County in central Taiwan, serious damage afflicted residents across the island as roads buckled, bridges collapsed and landslides destroyed everything in their path. — Desiree Anello, PEOPLE, 21 Sep. 2026 Besides the threat from Iran, Jordan faces other challenges, such as an economy that has buckled under millions of refugees fleeing regional conflicts. — ABC News, 4 Sep. 2026 The term works best when the player on the move is important to their team, perhaps a fan favourite, but has buckled at the idea of joining (insert ‘bigger’ club). — Eduardo Tansley, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for buckled
  1. collapsed
  2. devoted
  3. crumpled
  4. applied
  5. tumbled
  6. gave
Verb
  • Along the way, the former leaders of the AI trade, captured in the iShares AI Innovation ETF, have collapsed by 35 percentage points relative to the equal-weight S&P 500, then regained half the loss, then gave up most of that bounce.
    — Michael Santoli, CNBC, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Support for the populist had eroded since 16 people were killed in 2024 when a concrete canopy collapsed at a train station in Novi Sad.
    — JOVANA GEC, Arkansas Online, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of collapsed
Verb
  • Holding a second job was prohibited, regardless of an individual’s financial situation, to ensure that employees devoted all their energy and attention to UPS.
    — Marc Levinson, Fortune, 25 Oct. 2026
  • Having survived Auschwitz, Eger devoted her life to helping Vietnam veterans and others confront trauma, guilt and grief.
    — Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of devoted
Verb
  • Onlookers and policemen rushed to the balloon’s basket to find the three men lying crumpled on the ground.
    — Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Later, when the water receded, Fulcher and McKay pried open the Trotters’ crumpled trailer.
    — Abe Streep, ProPublica, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of crumpled
Verb
  • The gorgeous and tasty caramel and cream cheese frosting looks the best when applied with a small offset spatula to give it that swirly effect on the cake.
    — Mary Shannon Wells, Southern Living, 25 Oct. 2026
  • While traditionally only achievable in real life through plastic surgery or extreme makeup, it can be applied instantly online using beauty filters.
    — Chloe Veltman, NPR, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of applied
Verb
  • Shares of CoreWeave plunged 10% on Thursday, extending their monthly decline to 36%, while Australia's NextDC tumbled nearly 40% on Wednesday after cutting its earnings forecast.
    — Jenny Lee, CNBC, 23 Oct. 2026
  • The chorus broke open with two major chords, and the two people fumbled their way down the hall in the story while the musical progression tumbled downward, along with the protagonist’s self-respect.
    — Tom Roland, Billboard, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of tumbled
Verb
  • Rocket Lab was supposed to have a satellite on standby to go up and inspect True Anomaly’s spacecraft, ready to launch on short notice once military officials gave the order.
    — Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 26 June 2026
  • Additionally, prosecutors allege Rincker gave Alvarez a 12-gauge pump action shotgun, Jamioles said.
    — Caroline Zimmerman, Kansas City Star, 23 June 2026
Definition of gave

Browse Nearby Words

buckle
buckled
buckled (down)
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Cite this Entry

“Buckled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/buckled. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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