buck up

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.

Bernard DeVoto once tried to buck up his friend Catherine Drinker Bowen, who was wavering between a career in history and one in music.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 21, 2025

The pair were told to buck up their ideas by the referee as they began talking to each other during the middle of the rounds.

From BBC • Apr. 26, 2025

So, kids, it’s time to buck up and put on a smile.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 17, 2023

One of them is dismissal: “Just buck up, it can’t be that bad,” that kind of underestimation.

From Slate • Sep. 20, 2022

“No worries,” said Kyle, trying to buck up his teammates, even though he was starting to have those “champions become chumps” feelings again.

From "Mr. Lemoncello's Library Olympics" by Chris Grabenstein