1
as in lover
a person with a strong and habitual liking for something
he's such a film buff that he owns over 3,000 movies
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in nude
the state of having no clothes on one's body
protected by a fully enclosed backyard, the couple would frequently sunbathe in the buff
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in to rub
to make smooth by friction
she learned to buff semiprecious stones in order to make her own jewelry
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to polish
to make smooth or glossy usually by repeatedly applying surface pressure
the janitor buffed the lobby floor until it shone
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of buff
Symiah Dorsey, Southern Living, 12 Mar. 2026
India Star Movies and Star Movies Select will bring movie buffs the Oscars in India, with JioHotstar also streaming all the action and fun from Hollywood live.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 12 Mar. 2026
Lily Wohlner, Allure, 5 Mar. 2026
Wipe away the toothpaste residue with a damp cloth and buff the wood with a soft, dry cloth.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 4 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for buff
Noun
The island, home to military forts and the iconic black-and-white Tybee Island Light Station, built in 1773, is a dream for history buffs and nature lovers seeking tranquility.
—Symiah Dorsey, Southern Living, 12 Mar. 2026
India Star Movies and Star Movies Select will bring movie buffs the Oscars in India, with JioHotstar also streaming all the action and fun from Hollywood live.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 12 Mar. 2026
Verb
Go in with the glass cuticle pusher to gently soften and push back cuticles (which can help nails look longer), plus the glass polisher, which buffs the nail surface smooth for smoother, better, longer-lasting polish application.
—Lily Wohlner, Allure, 5 Mar. 2026
Wipe away the toothpaste residue with a damp cloth and buff the wood with a soft, dry cloth.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 4 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for buff
Recent Examples of Synonyms for buff
Noun
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But her lover, the increasingly controlling and unhinged army corporal Don José, is gradually dimished to lurking in the shadows and hiding in crowds.—
Pam Kragen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Her lover, Cavaradossi, is accused of helping an enemy of the state, and is framed by a corrupt and violent police chief, Baron Scarpia.—
Courtney Lewis,
Florida Times-Union,
28 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Also present this weekend was Joan Semmel—a painter focused on sexuality, a surprising take on nudes, and her own aging body—a friend of my mother’s from decades of summers spent in East Hampton’s Springs neighborhood.—
Vanessa Grigoriadis,
Vanity Fair,
10 Mar. 2026
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In ancient Mesopotamia 5,000 years ago, beautiful nudes depict both ideal women and goddesses.—
Anna Swartwood House,
The Conversation,
2 Mar. 2026
Verb
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And maybe the biggest reason these proposals rub people the wrong way is timing.—
C.J. Holmes,
New York Daily News,
27 Mar. 2026
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Just to rub it in, Horan, now aged 32, has a pub at his home.—
Lars Brandle,
Billboard,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Grab your wands and polish your broomsticks, because Hogwarts is calling.—
Jordan Moreau,
Variety,
25 Mar. 2026
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The stage puts a spotlight on smack-talk skills, functioning like a gym where wrestlers work out their character muscles, polish their submission holds and perfect their trash-talking chops in front of a panel of judges.—
Anthony Solorzano,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The little sucker can roam about freely, with the actor onto whose body Thing is but one piece (Victor Dorobantu) chroma-keyed out of the shot.—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
25 Mar. 2026
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Non-native species like grass carp and common carp, and native blue sucker, bigmouth buffalo, black buffalo, and smallmouth buffalo, have occasionally been mistaken for black carp.—
Cheyenne Derksen,
Oklahoman,
18 Mar. 2026
Noun
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No nudity, though, and no dance.—
Classical Music Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Mar. 2026
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Creator and host Eric André took the late-night talk show, a TV genre with all-too-familiar conventions, and twisted it beyond recognition with harrowing celebrity interviews, person-on-the-street stunts, jump-scare pranks, and gratuitous nudity.—
Eric Vilas-Boas,
Vulture,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Attention spans are being sanded down, vocabulary is becoming consumer-friendly.—
Hannah Gold,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Mar. 2026
-
Then the wood must dry, then be sanded, stained and carved.—
AJ Willingham,
AJC.com,
15 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Scrape batter into prepared baking sheet and, using a medium offset spatula, gently spread to edges, smoothing surface.—
Shilpa Uskokovic,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
1 Apr. 2026
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This collagen cream can help even out dark spots and smooth your skin for a healthy, luminous complexion.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
29 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Buff.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/buff. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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