buckle down
Meaning
To start working seriously and with determination; to concentrate and apply yourself to a task.
Origin
From the literal sense of fastening buckles (belts, straps) to secure yourself—by the late 19th century it was used figuratively for getting firmly set to serious work (often as “buckle down to”).
Notes
Often used when it’s time to get serious after delay or distraction. Common in school/work contexts; sounds natural in advice or firm encouragement.
Examples
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I need to buckle down and finish this report before the deadline.
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After the holidays, the whole team buckled down to hit our quarterly targets.
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If you buckle down now, you can relax later this weekend.
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She finally buckled down and started studying for the bar exam.
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Let’s buckle down and solve this problem step by step.
Grammar & Usage Notes
Usually intransitive: “buckle down” or “buckle down to + noun/gerund” (e.g., buckle down to studying). Tense/person can change (buckled down, buckling down), but wording is fairly fixed.
Synonyms
- knuckle down
- get down to work
- apply yourself
- get serious
Antonyms
- slack off
- take it easy
- goof off
- procrastinate