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Glite Dictionary
to buckle up

to buckle up

45 3.9
Fasten a seatbelt or get ready for a difficult, exciting time
  • phrasal verb
  • /ˈbʌkəl ʌp/
translation icon : abrocharse el cinturón
  • The simplest way to prevent car crash deaths is to buckle up.
  • buckle up for safety
  • buckle up your seat belt
  • passengers buckle up

So let's buckle up and jump right in.

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Examples

  • Everyone, buckle up.

    Easter Sunday (2022)

  • Before we hit the road, make sure to buckle up for safety.

  • All right, So buckle up and I think that you will enjoy this.

  • Well, buckle up my friends, because it's kind of a long story.

    Linus Tech Tips

  • So buckle up, get ready because we're going to go.

  • Yes, buckle up because what you have to get through is going to feel like this.

    The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

  • Seriously, buckle up, strap in, and enjoy.

  • Buckle up for safety, everybody.

    Manny & Lo (1996)

  • So buckle up for what is going to be a wild ride through history and an adventure through Switzerland.

  • As the roller coaster started to climb, the operator told everyone to buckle up tight.

Synonyms

to gear up
vsto buckle up
68 3.7

To get ready for an activity by preparing people or equipment

often includes literal seat belt fastening as well as personal readiness
to fasten your seat belt
vsto buckle up
18 1.7

Buckle the belt across your body to stay safe in a car or plane

also refers to preparing mentally for a difficult or exciting experience
to saddle up
vsto buckle up
  • Informal
8 5.2

Get ready mentally and physically for a long trip or hard task

is broader and also includes quick or small preparations like fastening a belt
to belt up
vsto buckle up
  • UK
1 2.6

To fasten your seatbelt when you are in a car or plane

also is used to mean getting ready for a challenge or event

Antonyms

to relax
∞ 1.0

To feel less nervous and more calm

to unfasten
5 3.4

To open something by undoing a button or zipper

How Prepared

to buckle up
45 3.9
to prepare for
487 2.8
postponement
19 3.4
to do nothing
888 1.5

Surface Forms

buckle up infinitive
buckled up past
buckled up past participle
buckling up present participle
buckles up third person singular

Morphology

buckle + up

The literal sense 'to fasten a seatbelt' is directly derivable from 'buckle' (to fasten) plus the particle 'up' indicating completion or securing, so a learner who knows the constituents will likely understand this usage. However, the metaphorical sense 'to get ready for a difficult or exciting experience' is a figurative extension that is not fully predictable from the parts, making the overall expression only partially transparent.

Etymology

The phrasal verb buckle up comes from the literal action of fastening a seatbelt with a buckle and pulling the strap up to close it before a trip. Because you secure yourself to 'stay safe', people also say buckle up to mean 'get ready' for a hard or exciting time.