BUCKLING Synonyms: 86 Similar and Opposite Words

buckling

verb

present participle of buckle

as in collapsing

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

as in devoting

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 buckling Debris pummels Rodney Stover’s back, buckling him to his knees. — Kansas City Star, 22 May 2026 SpaceX, meanwhile, is buckling under the weight of its own IPO. — Joe Wilkins, Futurism, 2 July 2026 Another six have sustained damage and the rest are now buckling under the influx of injuries. — ABC News, 30 June 2026 Clinics are dealing with staffing shortages, appointment backlogs and a system buckling under administrative weight. — Saran Siva, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026 Africa’s biggest economy is buckling under a more than 30% unemployment rate, rising food inflation, and an informal retail sector where millions compete for survival. — Tiisetso Motsoeneng, semafor.com, 1 July 2026 But property owners buckling under financial pressure isn’t necessarily justice. — Jeremy Talcott, Oc Register, 27 May 2026 From record-shattering temperatures to lightning strikes, forest fires and buckling rail and road networks, Europe’s heat wave is triggering evacuations, injuries and cascading infrastructure failures. — Kirsten Grieshaber, Los Angeles Times, 28 June 2026 When a fire tore through Kantamanto that January, devouring eight acres, or nearly 60 percent of the market’s retail-facing side, the community of 30,000 retailers, traders and vendors all but lost hope in a business model that was already buckling under fashion’s ever-quickening pace. — Jasmin Malik Chua, Footwear News, 8 June 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for buckling

Verb

The camaraderie was evident on the ground here in La Guaira, the coastal city where quake damage was most severe, collapsing dozens of buildings.

— Mery Mogollón, Los Angeles Times, 5 July 2026
Unlike straw or lower-grade wool blends, beaver felt can be reworked without collapsing its structure, which is what allows hats to be reshaped by hand rather than stamped out of a mold.

— Jessica Chapel, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 July 2026

Definition of collapsing

Verb

Every board meeting is devoting a significant amount of time to the succession question, the source said.

— Anirban Sen, USA Today, 29 June 2026
While his once-promising political career was over, Profumo earned a measure of redemption by devoting the rest of his life to charitable work and in being named a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1975.

— Tracy Grant, Encyclopedia Britannica, 26 June 2026

Definition of devoting

Verb

Moses Moody scored 23 points before crumpling to the floor with an apparently serious left knee injury late in overtime as the Golden State Warriors beat Dallas 137-131 on Monday night, extending the Mavericks' home losing streak to 12 games, their longest in 32 years.

— CBS News, CBS News, 24 Mar. 2026
Late on, with the game already won, James Garner and substitute Merlin Rohl chased Enzo Fernandez, sending him crumpling to the turf.

— Patrick Boyland, New York Times, 22 Mar. 2026

Definition of crumpling

Verb

Normally, credit bureaus tally any credit checks within a 45-day period as one credit check, and your credit score shouldn't go down more than several points when applying to multiple lenders.

— Kelsey Neubauer, CNBC, 2 July 2026
Madonna divorced from Guy Ritchie in 2008, before applying to adopt Mercy, and her adoption application was initially rejected by the courts.

— Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 2 July 2026

Definition of applying

Verb

Leandro Trossard got the assist, bending a perfect back-post cross from the end line to his waiting teammate.

— Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2026
For much of her decades-long career, Madonna has been known as not only a genre-bending talent and headline-grabber, but also a certified hitmaker.

— Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 5 July 2026

Definition of bending

Verb

The Athletics beat the Dodgers 7-1 on Wednesday night, giving the West Sacramento team its only win of the series with the Dodgers, winners of the past two World Series, failing to secure a three-game sweep.

— Mathew Miranda, Sacbee.com, 2 July 2026
Another prohibits giving lectures in public parks without city permission.

— Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2026