buckle under
phrasal verb.phrasal verb. to fail or give up because there is too much pressure or stress.
phrasal verb. to collapse or yield under the weight of physical pressure or, more commonly, psychological stress or external demands.
He did not buckle under the pressure of the exam.
The bridge began to buckle under the weight of the heavy snowstorm.
Despite their initial resolve, the small company eventually buckled under the relentless legal pressure from their much larger competitor.
usually followed by 'pressure', 'strain', or 'weight'.
use the physical image of a metal beam bending (buckling) to help students visualize the metaphorical collapse of a person's willpower.
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.
Last updated April 24, 2026