What does buckle mean?
Word: Buckle
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Buckle means a metal clip on a belt or strap that holds it shut. As a verb, to buckle means to fasten one, or to bend under a heavy weight.
Synonyms: clasp, fasten
How do you spell buckle?
Syllables: buck - le
Tricky part: The word ends in le, not el, even though you hear something like el. Children often write buckel.
Watch out for: buckel, buckal
Memory tip: Picture the clip at the very end of a belt: in buckle the l clips on before the e, just as in table and little.
Idioms and Phrases
- buckle down: To start working seriously and with effort. Example: "With exams a week away, Ivan decided to buckle down and revise every evening."
- buckle up: To fasten your seat belt. Example: "The driver told everyone to buckle up before the car left."
Buckle in a sentence
Example 1: The buckle on my school belt is shaped like the school crest.
Example 2: Can you help me buckle my sandal strap?
Example 3: The old shelf began to buckle under the pile of heavy books.
Fun Fact
Buckle comes from the Latin word buccula, which means little cheek. It first named the strap that held a helmet under the cheek.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Cookie
Find the extra letter in the word:
buckkle
a) u
b) k
c) c
d) l
Show answer
b) k. Buckle has one k, straight after the c.
Mingle-Mangle
Form a meaningful word from the jumbled letters:
kecbul
a) buclke
b) buckle
c) bcukle
d) bukcle
Show answer
b) buckle. Begin with bu, and remember that the word ends in le.
Spell-o-Spell
Choose the correctly spelt word:
a) buckle
b) jaket
c) pockit
d) trowsers
Show answer
a) buckle. Pocket ends in et, jacket needs a c before its k, and trousers spells its ow sound with ou.
Word Connection
Choose the antonym of the word:
buckle
a) attach
b) unfasten
c) carry
d) tighten
Show answer
b) unfasten. To unfasten a belt is to open the clip again.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Where would you most likely find a buckle?
a) on a school belt
b) on a cricket ball
c) inside a lunch box
d) in a water bottle
Show answer
a) on a school belt
2. Heavy snow lay on a thin tin roof until the roof buckled. What would you see?
a) the roof painted a new colour
b) the roof covered in fresh leaves
c) the roof shining in the sun
d) the roof sagging in the middle
Show answer
d) the roof sagging in the middle
