From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishbucklebuck‧le1 /ˈbʌkəl/ verb 1 bend [intransitive, transitive]BEND to become bent or curved because of heat or pressure, or to make something bend or curve in this way The steel pillars began to buckle.buckle under The rails buckled under the intense heat of the fire.2 knees/legs [intransitive]FALL if your knees or legs buckle, they become weak and bend SYN give way John felt his knees start to buckle.3 do something you do not want [intransitive] to do something that you do not want to do because a difficult situation forces you to do it SYN give in He refused to buckle.buckle under the pressure/strain/weight A weaker person would have buckled under the weight of criticism.4 fasten [intransitive, transitive]FASTEN/DO UP to fasten a buckle, or be fastened with a buckle Amy buckled the belt around her waist.buckle something on/up/together Lou was buckling on his revolver. → buckle down → buckle up→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
buckle• She sank down on the bed with the photograph gripped so tightly in her hands that the paper buckled.• I am so frightened that my legs begin to give out, actually buckle, and I reach for the railing.• If individuals are forced to face the reality of starvation, everyone will buckle down to work.• The sidewalk was cracked and buckled from the earthquake.• In a small area flanked by Bishopsgate, Leadenhall Street and Houndsditch, buildings had buckled from the ferocity of the blast.• The Men were outside his cage trying to open it but failing because the branch had buckled it.• Windows shattered with the heat from the blaze and metal doors buckled like cardboard.• Frank buckled on his safety harness.• The strap buckles on the side.• The aluminium chair buckled under Charles's weight.• They were small then, but sometimes our knees buckled under their weight.• The door buckled when something else struck its base.buckle under the pressure/strain/weight• Does the amp respond or does it buckle under the strain?• Rangers buckled under the pressure, but they didn't break.• Perhaps his memory, like Henry's, was buckling under the strain of being forty.bucklebuckle2 noun [countable] DTa piece of metal used for fastening the two ends of a belt, for fastening a shoe, bag etc, or for decorationExamples from the Corpus
buckle• Top competitors will gallop away with gleaming belt buckles and up to $ 2,500 in prize money.• And the belt buckle for every word wrong.• It should be fitted with a quick-release buckle.• A quick release buckle on the hipbelt is essential in case a pack needs to be thrown off in an emergency.• They were black painted with small flowers on the buckle.• The buckles glinted in the sun.Origin buckle2 (1300-1400) Old French bocle “buckle, raised part in the center of a shield”, from buccola “strap for a helmet”, from bucca “cheek” 