buckle (redirected from buckles down)

buckle someone or something down

to attach someone or something down with straps that buckle together. They stopped to buckle the load down again. Did you buckle down the kids?

buckle someone or something up

to attach someone or something securely with straps that buckle together. (This emphasizes the completeness and secureness of the act.) Buckle the children up before we leave. Buckle up your shoes.

See also: up

buckle someone in

to attach someone securely with a vehicle's seat belts. (This includes airplane seat belts.) Don't forget to buckle the children in. Did you buckle in the children?

buckle down (to something)

to settle down to something; to begin to work seriously at something. If you don't buckle down to your job, you'll be fired. You had better buckle down and get busy.

buckle under 

1. Lit. [for something] to collapse. With heavy trucks on it, the bridge buckled under. The table buckled under.

2. Fig. [for someone] to collapse or give in under the burden of heavy demands or great anxiety. With so much to worry about, she buckled under. I was afraid she would buckle under.

buckle under something

to collapse under or from the weight of something. The bridge buckled under the weight of the truck and collapsed. The table finally buckled under.

buckle up and belt up

to buckle one's seat belt, as in a car or plane. Please buckle up so our flight can begin. I wish you would obey the law and belt up.

See also: up

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buckle down

to do the work you need to do Schools, parents, and students need to buckle down and find ways to reach the new standards.

buckle up

to fasten a strap that holds you in your seat in a vehicle or aircraft Four out of five children are not correctly buckled up. The pilot asked the passengers to buckle up because we were flying through a storm system.

See also: up