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Glite Dictionary
to buckle to

to buckle to

2 8.4
To give in to pressure or criticism
  • phrasal verb
  • /ˈbʌkəl tu/
translation icon : ceder a
  • She didn't have to buckle to your taunts.
  • buckle to pressure
  • refused to buckle to

But it's less a backlash than a tantrum, a rage explosion by men who want to restore their dominance but fear that this time, women won't buckle to their bullying.

Examples

  • Despite the criticism, she refused to buckle to the pressure from her peers.

  • And then raise money for a media pounding of the home districts of the 60-something Republican reps that would be most likely to buckle to constituent pressure.

    Blog text (21)

  • We're just not going to buckle to these people.

    Nixon (1995)

  • Will the Prime Minister block that honours list or will he buckle to her as well?

  • Ms. Armstrong could have buckled to the demands of the government.

    Nothing But the Truth (2008)

  • But GM buckled to Nader and dropped the Corvair completely.

    Blog text (8)

  • Broadway producers buckled to the pressure and provided hour-long intermissions between acts of their new hits, with sets provided in the lobbies and the restrooms.

    Fiction book (1993)

  • The politician chose to buckle to the community's demands for more public services.

  • He claimed he would never buckle to threats, standing firm in his beliefs.

Synonyms

to give
vsto buckle to
∞ 3.5

To stop being strong and bend or break under pressure

applies this idea specifically to yielding under criticism or pressure
to give in
vsto buckle to
220 3.0

To stop resisting and agree to what others want

means yielding specifically to pressure or criticism rather than choice
to bow
vsto buckle to
127 6.3

To give in to another person's wishes or demands

is about yielding to pressure or criticism rather than respectful submission
to yield
vsto buckle to
81 4.3

To stop resisting under pressure or force

is centered on yielding specifically to pressure or criticism rather than general yielding
to cave
vsto buckle to
  • Informal
71 6.7

To give in to pressure or demands

is the neutral description of yielding to pressure or criticism
to succumb to
vsto buckle to
69 5.8

Fail to resist a strong feeling or pressure and give in

is focused on yielding to external pressure or critical demands
to relent
vsto buckle to
31 5.8

To stop resisting and allow something to happen, like a person giving in or a storm easing

is focused on yielding under pressure or criticism rather than gradual softening
to capitulate
vsto buckle to
23 8.4

To stop fighting back and accept defeat or demands

is about giving in to pressure or criticism rather than formal surrender terms
to cave in
vsto buckle to
  • Informal
21 4.8

Give in to pressure or strong requests after resisting

stresses yielding specifically to pressure or criticism rather than mere persuasion
to cave to
vsto buckle to
  • Informal
5 7.6

To give in to pressure or demands from others

emphasizes yielding to pressure or criticism rather than full surrender
to knuckle under
vsto buckle to
  • Informal
4 8.4

To give in to pressure or someone in charge even if you do not want to

is about giving in to pressure or criticism rather than to authority alone
to buckle under
vsto buckle to
2 6.7

To give in to pressure even though you do not want to

is about yielding to pressure or criticism rather than physical breakage
to yield up
vsto buckle to
1 7.4

Give something to another person because you are forced to do so

focuses on yielding oneself to pressure or criticism rather than giving objects
to bend to someone's will
vsto buckle to
7.1

To do what someone else wants even if you do not want to

refers more broadly to yielding to pressure or criticism, not only people
to fold like a cheap suit
vsto buckle to
  • Informal
9.6

To give in easily when under pressure

describes yielding to pressure or criticism without the mocking tone

Antonyms

to resist
311 2.2

Act against authority, rules or change

to stand firm
22 3.7

Keep your decision or opinion when others try to make you change

How Yielding

to buckle to
2 8.4
to give in
220 3.0
to relent
31 5.8
to resist
311 2.2
to refuse
716 1.7

Surface Forms

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

Morphology

buckle + to

The verb 'buckle' already carries the sense of bending or collapsing under pressure, and the preposition 'to' clearly marks the target of that force (e.g. 'buckle to pressure/criticism'), so a B1 learner who knows the constituents can compose the meaning 'yield or give in to'. This is a regular verb + preposition compositional pattern and has clear parallels in other languages (e.g. Spanish 'ceder a'), supporting full transparency.

Etymology

Buckle to comes from the picture of something that buckles — it bends or gives way when pressure is put on it, like a metal beam or a person's knees. So, buckle to means 'to give in' to pressure or demands.