Meaning & use
buckled down
Last updated
“buckled down” is a form of “buckle down”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meaning
phraseintransitive
Started to work or study with serious effort and focus.
Grammar: No object. Often followed by 'to' + noun or '-ing': buckled down to work.
Patterns
- buckled down to something
- buckled down to doing something
- buckled down and did something
After the warning, she buckled down and finished the report in two hours.
He finally buckled down to his studies and passed the exam.
The team buckled down to the task and met the deadline.
Common combinations
- buckled down to work
- As soon as the boss left, they buckled down to work.
- buckled down and studied
- She buckled down and studied every evening for a month.
- finally buckled down
- He finally buckled down after failing the first test.
Synonyms and how they differ
- got down to
- Similar meaning, but 'got down to' can also mean simply 'started' without the idea of serious effort.
- settled down
- Focuses on becoming calm and steady, not necessarily working hard.
Opposites
Word family
- buckle down phrase
- The base form; means to start working seriously.
Commonly confused: buckled down or buckled?
buckled down vs buckled
'Buckled' alone often means 'fastened with a buckle' (like a belt) or 'bent and damaged'. The phrasal verb 'buckled down' is about working hard.
Practice
Choose the correct sentence:
Choose one answer.
'Buckled down' is followed by 'to' + verb or noun when you mention the activity: 'buckled down to study'. Option 1 lacks 'to'; option 2 uses 'for' incorrectly; option 3 uses '-ing' without 'to'.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “buckled down”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.