Buckle vs. Clip — What's the Difference?
By Urooj Arif & Fiza Rafique — Updated on March 21, 2024
A buckle is a device for fastening two loose ends, featuring a frame with a pin, while a clip is a fastener that holds objects tightly together without a pin-based mechanism.
Difference Between Buckle and Clip
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Buckles are typically used in clothing, footwear, and accessories, serving to adjust and secure items like belts, shoes, and bags. They consist of a frame and a pin that goes through holes in the strap to fasten it securely. Clips, on the other hand, are designed to hold objects together or attach them to something else, and they work by applying pressure to grip the items without the need for holes or pins.
While buckles offer a secure fit that can be adjusted according to the size or preference of the user, clips provide a quick and easy way to attach or hold items together. Clips are commonly used for paper, hair, or lightweight materials, where a simple, temporary hold is sufficient.
Buckles often feature metal or plastic construction and are designed to be durable and reusable, with the ability to withstand the tension and stress of being adjusted and fastened repeatedly. Clips, while also available in a variety of materials, including metal and plastic, may not always be designed for long-term durability but rather for convenience and ease of use.
The design of a buckle allows for a more permanent or long-lasting application, making it ideal for items that require frequent use and adjustability. Clips, in contrast, are suited for temporary or less demanding applications, where items need to be quickly and easily secured or removed without the need for adjustment.
Buckles and clips serve different purposes in terms of functionality and application. A buckle's adjustability and secure fastening make it suitable for apparel and accessories, whereas a clip's simplicity and ease of use make it ideal for organizing, holding materials together, or temporary attachment.
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Comparison Chart
Function
Fastens two loose ends with adjustable fit
Holds objects together tightly without adjustment
Mechanism
Frame and pin through holes
Pressure-based grip without pin
Use Case
Clothing, footwear, accessories
Paper, hair, lightweight materials
Durability
Designed for frequent use and durability
May vary, often for convenience over long-term use
Adjustability
Adjustable for a secure fit
Generally not adjustable
Compare with Definitions
Buckle
A metal or plastic fastening mechanism found on footwear.
She buckled her sandals before heading out.
Clip
A fastener for holding objects together, applying pressure.
She used a clip to keep the papers organized.
Buckle
A device for fastening two ends, with a frame and pin.
He fastened the buckle on his belt to secure his pants.
Clip
Provides a simple solution for keeping items together.
He used a clip to keep the snack bag closed.
Buckle
Common in fashion and utility items for a reliable hold.
The safety helmet comes with a secure buckle for adjustment.
Clip
Can be decorative or functional, used in hair or clothing.
She adorned her hair with a sparkling clip.
Buckle
Symbolic of durability and adjustability in fastening.
The leather belt's buckle was both decorative and functional.
Clip
Ideal for temporary attachment or organization.
The clip on his ID badge made it easy to wear.
Buckle
Used in accessories for adjustable and secure fastening.
The backpack's buckle ensures the straps stay in place.
Clip
Lightweight and easy to use for quick applications.
Attaching the note to the fridge with a magnet clip was simple.
Buckle
The buckle or clasp is a device used for fastening two loose ends, with one end attached to it and the other held by a catch in a secure but adjustable manner. Often taken for granted, the invention of the buckle was indispensable in securing two ends before the invention of the zipper.
Clip
A flexible or spring-loaded device for holding an object or objects together or in place
He undid two clips and lifted the lid
A gilt clip fastened her hair
Buckle
A clasp for fastening two ends, as of straps or a belt, in which a device attached to one of the ends is fitted or coupled to the other.
Clip
A metal holder containing cartridges for an automatic firearm
He shot twice, but his clip was empty
Buckle
An ornament that resembles this clasp, such as a metal square on a shoe or hat.
Clip
An act of clipping or trimming something
I gave him a full clip
Buckle
An instance of bending, warping, or crumpling; a bend or bulge.
Clip
A short sequence taken from a film or broadcast
Clips from earlier shows
A film clip
Buckle
To fasten with a buckle.
Clip
A smart or glancing blow
I'd give him a clip round the ear
Buckle
To cause to bend, warp, or crumple.
Clip
A specified speed or rate of movement, especially when rapid
We crossed the dance floor at an amazingly fast clip
Buckle
To become fastened with a buckle.
Clip
Fasten or be fastened with a clip or clips
She clipped on a pair of diamond earrings
The panels simply clip on to the framework
Buckle
To bend, warp, or crumple, as under pressure or heat.
Clip
Cut short or trim (hair, vegetation, etc.) with shears or scissors
I was clipping the hedge
Buckle
To give way; collapse
My knees buckled with fear.
Clip
Strike smartly or with a glancing blow
The car clipped the kerb
He'll clip your ear
Buckle
To succumb, as to exhaustion or authority; give in
Finally buckled under the excessive demands of the job.
Clip
Swindle or rob
In all the years he ran the place, he was clipped only three times
Buckle
(intransitive) To distort or collapse under physical pressure; especially, of a slender structure in compression.
Clip
Move quickly
We clip down the track
Buckle
(transitive) To make bend; to cause to become distorted.
Clip
To cut, cut off, or cut out with or as if with shears
Clip coupons.
Clipped three seconds off the record.
Buckle
To give in; to react suddenly or adversely to stress or pressure (of a person).
It is amazing that he has never buckled after so many years of doing such urgent work.
Clip
To make shorter by cutting; trim
Clip a hedge.
Buckle
(intransitive) To yield; to give way; to cease opposing.
Clip
To cut off the edge of
Clip a coin.
Buckle
To enter upon some labour or contest; to join in close fight; to contend.
Clip
To cut short; curtail.
Buckle
To buckle down; to apply oneself.
Clip
To shorten (a word or words) by leaving out letters or syllables.
Buckle
(transitive) To fasten using a buckle.
Clip
To enunciate with clarity and precision
Clip one's words.
Buckle
(Scotland) To unite in marriage.
Clip
(Informal) To hit with a sharp blow
Clipped me under the eye.
Buckle
(countable) A clasp used for fastening two things together, such as the ends of a belt, or for retaining the end of a strap.
Clip
(Football) To block (an opponent) illegally from the rear.
Buckle
The brisure of an eighth daughter.
Clip
(Sports) To hit or kick (the ball) in a certain direction.
Buckle
(roofing) An upward, elongated displacement of a roof membrane frequently occurring over insulation or deck joints. A buckle may be an indication of movement with the roof assembly.
Clip
(Slang) To cheat, swindle, or rob.
Buckle
A distortion, bulge, bend, or kink, as in a saw blade or a plate of sheet metal.
Clip
To cut something.
Buckle
A curl of hair, especially a kind of crisp curl formerly worn; also, the state of being curled.
Clip
(Informal) To move rapidly.
Buckle
A contorted expression, as of the face.
Clip
To fasten with or as if with a clip; hold tightly.
Buckle
A cake baked with fresh fruit and a streusel topping.
Clip
(Archaic) To embrace or encompass.
Buckle
A device, usually of metal, consisting of a frame with one more movable tongues or catches, used for fastening things together, as parts of dress or harness, by means of a strap passing through the frame and pierced by the tongue.
Clip
The act of clipping.
Buckle
A distortion bulge, bend, or kink, as in a saw blade or a plate of sheet metal.
Clip
The wool shorn at one shearing, as of sheep.
Buckle
A curl of hair, esp. a kind of crisp curl formerly worn; also, the state of being curled.
Earlocks in tight buckles on each side of a lantern face.
Lets his wig lie in buckle for a whole half year.
Clip
A season's shearing.
Buckle
A contorted expression, as of the face.
'Gainst nature armed by gravity,His features too in buckle see.
Clip
A short extract from a movie or television program.
Buckle
To fasten or confine with a buckle or buckles; as, to buckle a harness.
Clip
(Informal) A quick sharp blow
A clip on the ear.
Buckle
To bend; to cause to kink, or to become distorted.
Clip
(Football) An illegal block from the rear.
Buckle
To prepare for action; to apply with vigor and earnestness; - formerly, generally used reflexively, but by mid 20th century, usually used with down; - as, the programmers buckled down and worked late hours to finish the project in time for the promised delivery date.
Cartwright buckled himself to the employment.
Clip
(Informal) A pace or rate
Go at a fast clip.
Buckle
To join in marriage.
Clip
A single occasion; a time
Could write nine pages at a clip.
Buckle
To bend permanently; to become distorted; to bow; to curl; to kink.
Buckled with the heat of the fire like parchment.
Clip
Clips A pair of shears or clippers.
Buckle
To bend out of a true vertical plane, as a wall.
Clip
Any of various devices for gripping or holding things together; a clasp or fastener.
Buckle
To yield; to give way; to cease opposing.
The Dutch, as high as they seem, do begin to buckle.
Clip
A piece of jewelry that fastens with a clasp or clip, such as an earring or a brooch.
Buckle
To enter upon some labor or contest; to join in close fight; to struggle; to contend.
The bishop was as able and ready to buckle with the Lord Protector as he was with him.
In single combat thou shalt buckle with me.
To make our sturdy humor buckle thereto.
Before buckling to my winter's work.
Clip
A cartridge clip.
Buckle
Fastener that fastens together two ends of a belt or strap; often has loose prong
Clip
To grip tightly.
Buckle
A shape distorted by twisting or folding
Clip
To fasten with a clip.
Please clip the photos to the pages where they will go.
Buckle
Fasten with a buckle or buckles
Clip
(archaic) To hug, embrace.
Buckle
Fold or collapse;
His knees buckled
Clip
(slang) To collect signatures, generally with the use of a clipboard.
Buckle
Bend out of shape, as under pressure or from heat;
The highway buckled during the heatwave
Clip
To cut, especially with scissors or shears as opposed to a knife etc.
She clipped my hair with her scissors.
Please clip that coupon out of the newspaper.
Clip
To curtail; to cut short.
Clip
To strike with the hand.
I’ll clip ye round the lugs!
Clip
To hit or strike, especially in passing.
The car skidded off the road and clipped a lamppost.
Clip
(American football) To perform an illegal tackle, throwing the body across the back of an opponent's leg or hitting him from the back below the waist while moving up from behind unless the opponent is a runner or the action is in close line play.
Clip
(signal processing) To cut off a signal level at a certain maximum value.
Clip
(computer graphics) To discard (an occluded part of a model or scene) rather than waste resources on rendering it.
Clip
To move (through or into) (a rendered object or barrier).
The camera keeps clipping that ceiling.
Clipping through walls is integral to the game's speedruns.
Oh, no, I clipped my avatar through the barrier!
Clip
To cheat, swindle, or fleece.
Clip
To grab or take stealthily
Clip
Something which clips or grasps; a device for attaching one object to another.
Use this clip to attach the check to your tax form.
Clip
An unspecified, but normally understood as rapid, speed or pace.
She reads at a pretty good clip.
He was walking at a fair clip and I was out of breath trying to keep up.
Clip
(obsolete) An embrace.
Clip
(military) A frame containing a number of rounds of ammunition which is intended to be inserted into an internal magazine of a firearm to allow for rapid reloading.
Clip
A removable magazine of a firearm.
Clip
A projecting flange on the upper edge of a horseshoe, turned up so as to embrace the lower part of the hoof; a toe clip or beak.
Clip
A gaff or hook for landing the fish, as in salmon fishing.
Clip
Something which has been clipped from a larger whole:
Clip
The product of a single shearing of sheep.
Clip
A season's crop of wool.
Clip
A section of video taken from a film, broadcast, or other longer video
The morning news today played a clip of last night's debate.
The 100th episode of Seinfeld consisted of clips from previous episodes.
Clip
A newspaper clipping.
Clip
An act of clipping, such as a haircut.
I went into the salon to get a clip.
Clip
The condition of something, its state.
Deeky the clip of that aad wife ower thor!
Clip
(informal) A blow with the hand (often in the set phrase clip round the ear)
Give him a clip round the ear!
Clip
To embrace, hence; to encompass.
O . . . that Neptune's arms, who clippeth thee about,Would bear thee from the knowledge of thyself.
Clip
To cut off; as with shears or scissors; as, to clip the hair; to clip coin.
Sentenced to have his ears clipped.
Clip
To curtail; to cut short.
All my reports go with the modest truth;No more nor clipped, but so.
In London they clip their words after one manner about the court, another in the city, and a third in the suburbs.
Clip
To move swiftly; - usually with indefinite it.
Straight flies as chek, and clips it down the wind.
Clip
An embrace.
Clip
A cutting; a shearing.
Clip
The product of a single shearing of sheep; a season's crop of wool.
Clip
A clasp or holder for letters, papers, etc.
Clip
An embracing strap for holding parts together; the iron strap, with loop, at the ends of a whiffletree.
Clip
A projecting flange on the upper edge of a horseshoe, turned up so as to embrace the lower part of the hoof; - called also toe clip and beak.
Clip
A blow or stroke with the hand; as, he hit him a clip.
Clip
A part, attachment, or appendage, for seizing, clasping, or holding, an object, as a cable, etc.
Clip
A gaff or hook for landing the fish, as in salmon fishing.
Clip
A rapid gait.
Clip
A metal frame or container holding cartridges; can be inserted into an automatic gun
Clip
An instance or single occasion for some event;
This time he succeeded
He called four times
He could do ten at a clip
Clip
Any of various small fasteners used to hold loose articles together
Clip
An article of jewelry that can be clipped onto a hat or dress
Clip
The act of clipping or snipping
Clip
A sharp slanting blow;
He gave me a clip on the ear
Clip
Sever or remove by pinching or snipping;
Nip off the flowers
Clip
Run at a moderately swift pace
Clip
Attach with a clip;
Clip the papers together
Clip
Cultivate, tend, and cut back the growth of;
Dress the plants in the garden
Clip
Terminate or abbreviate before its intended or proper end or its full extent;
My speech was cut short
Personal freedom is curtailed in many countries
Common Curiosities
Can buckles be used for temporary fastening?
While designed for more permanent use, buckles can be easily fastened and unfastened as needed.
Are clips suitable for heavy-duty applications?
Clips are generally used for lighter, temporary holds, though heavy-duty clips are available for specific needs.
What is the main difference between a buckle and a clip?
A buckle fastens with a frame and pin mechanism for adjustable fit, while a clip holds objects together using pressure without adjustment.
What are the advantages of using a clip?
Clips offer convenience and speed for holding items together without the need for holes or adjustments.
Why would someone choose a buckle over a clip?
For durability, adjustability, and a secure fastening, especially for wearables, a buckle is preferred.
Are clips and buckles interchangeable?
While they serve similar purposes, their specific functions and applications usually make them not directly interchangeable.
Are all buckles made of metal?
Buckles can be made from various materials, including metal and plastic, depending on the application.
Do clips come in different sizes?
Clips are available in various sizes to accommodate different materials and thicknesses.
How do I choose between a buckle and a clip?
Consider the application: use a buckle for adjustable, durable fastening and a clip for simple, temporary holds.
Can a clip be used to fasten a belt?
Typically, belts require buckles for adjustable fastening, but clip-on designs may exist for decorative purposes.
Is it easy to replace a buckle?
Depending on the item, buckles can be replaced with some effort, especially if they are designed to be detachable.
What's the historical significance of buckles?
Buckles have a long history in fashion and utility, symbolizing status and innovation in fastening techniques.
Can buckles be decorative?
Yes, buckles often serve both a functional and decorative purpose, especially in fashion.
Can buckles be custom-made?
Custom-made buckles are available, especially for fashion or branded purposes.
What types of clips are there?
Clips vary widely, including paper clips, hair clips, and binder clips, each designed for specific uses.
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Written by
Urooj ArifUrooj is a skilled content writer at Ask Difference, known for her exceptional ability to simplify complex topics into engaging and informative content. With a passion for research and a flair for clear, concise writing, she consistently delivers articles that resonate with our diverse audience.
Co-written by
Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
