buy off

verb

bought off; buying off; buys off

transitive verb

1
: to induce to refrain (as from prosecution) by a payment or other consideration
2
: to free (as from military service) by payment

Examples of buy off in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Additionally, Morrell benefited from a Pasadena house that the company bought off him for $4.5 million on his way out. Ted Johnson, Deadline, 18 June 2024 The country’s news outlets have been largely bought off or bullied into silence. Mark Landler, New York Times, 6 June 2024 Long After We Are Gone delves into the timely topic of large corporations trying to buy off historically Black land. Lynnette Nicholas, Essence, 25 Apr. 2024 Reading glasses are akin to buying off the rack, with just a few strengths to choose between. Gabrielle Emanuel, NPR, 3 Apr. 2024 The biggest changes are to stock window coverings bought off the shelf, which make up about 80% of the U.S. market. Suzy Khimm, NBC news, 20 Dec. 2023 Unlike the British and French attempt to buy off Adolf Hitler with territorial concessions, Kissinger and his presidents strove to contain their adversary’s expansion. Niall Ferguson, Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 2024 One rule makes the 2018 voluntary standard official for stock window coverings: All products bought off the shelf must be cordless, have inaccessible operating cords or have operating cords limited to 8 inches. Suzy Khimm, NBC news, 20 Dec. 2023 Those who publicly criticized the IT system were threatened with legal action or bought off in nondisclosure agreements. Madeleine Kearns, National Review, 12 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'buy off.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1614, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of buy off was in 1614

Dictionary Entries Near buy off

Cite this Entry

“Buy off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/buy%20off. Accessed 9 Jul. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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