ENGLISH
REFERENCE

buckle under

phr. v..
C1 Advanced Oxford

phr. v.. to fail or give up because there is too much pressure or stress.

phr. v.. to collapse or yield under the weight of physical pressure or, more commonly, psychological stress or external demands.


SIMPLE

He did not buckle under the pressure of the exam.

CONTEXTUAL

The bridge began to buckle under the weight of the heavy snowstorm.

COMPLEX

Despite their initial resolve, the small company eventually buckled under the relentless legal pressure from their much larger competitor.

Particles
under
Separability
inseparable
Pattern
buckle + under + object
Usage

usually followed by 'pressure', 'strain', or 'weight'.

Teaching tip

use the physical image of a metal beam bending (buckling) to help students visualize the metaphorical collapse of a person's willpower.

Pitfall

He buckled under of the stress.He buckled under the stress.the preposition 'under' connects directly to the noun; do not add 'of' after it.

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