1 C1 idiomatic informal
To summon the courage to face or confront someone or something intimidating.
"He finally bucked up to his landlord about the broken heating."
buck up to
C1 informal transitive
To gather courage and confront someone or something difficult or intimidating.
In plain English
To be brave enough to go and face someone or something scary.
What does "buck up to" mean?
One main meaning — here's how to use it.
Usage tip
Rare and somewhat dated. Combines the sense of 'bucking up' (gaining courage) with a confrontational direction toward someone or something.
Words that pair with "buck up to"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
challenge boss opponent situation problem
How to conjugate "buck up to"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
buck up to
I/you/we/they
3rd person
bucks up to
he/she/it
Past simple
bucked up to
yesterday
Past participle
bucked up to
have + pp
-ing form
bucking up to
continuous
Hear "buck up to" in the wild
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Other ways to say "buck up to"
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