bucking up

verb

present participle of buck up
1
as in looking up
to become glad or hopeful buck up, kids, it's not so bad as you're making it out to be

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in inspiring
to fill with courage or strength of purpose a surprise presidential visit to buck up the troops

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for bucking up
  1. looking up
  2. inspiring
  3. brightening
  4. encouraging
  5. bearing up
Verb
  • But the current version of this technology goes well beyond an officer looking up a plate number.
    — Abigail Hall, The Conversation, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Loverro believes the announcement wasn’t much more than an acknowledgment of what people could already see for themselves by looking up.
    — Mary Randolph, Scientific American, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of looking up
Verb
  • Why Gen Z wants authentic Y2K pieces One big reason Gen Z keeps hunting old mall clothes is that the pieces come from the actual era inspiring today’s Y2K revival.
    — Ashley Lynch, Miami Herald, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Step around, and potentially inside, awe-inspiring vehicles from the film, or come face-to-face with the Bene Gesserit, a group of priestesses who possess, among other things, the ability to bend the will of others.
    — Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of inspiring
Verb
  • From setting up special meals to just brightening days with smiles and genuine care, the staff here lift the already luxury experience to the next level.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Here, the exclusive tech is enhanced with firming peptides, caffeine, and marine ferment, plus brightening kakudu plum extract.
    — Jenny Berg, Vogue, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of brightening
Verb
  • Bealls is launching its first national ad campaign, encouraging shoppers to rediscover the idea of a treasure hunt for the holiday season.
    — Jean E. Palmieri, Footwear News, 9 Oct. 2026
  • While Antetokounmpo is still trying to get used to the Heat’s up-tempo style, the offensive results have already been encouraging this preseason.
    — Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of encouraging
Verb
  • It can also be used as a bench, bearing up to 355 pounds.
    — Caitlyn Martyn may earn a commission if you buy through our referral links. This content was created by a team that works independently from the Fox newsroom., FOXNews.com, 11 Aug. 2025
Definition of bearing up
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.

Browse Nearby Words

bucking
bucking up
buckle
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Cite this Entry

“Bucking up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bucking%20up. Accessed 11 Oct. 2026.

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