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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
And it is built from your own people and your own experts, not bought off a shelf. — Panos Siozos, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2026 His rise up the ranks eventually brought him into conflict with Geonyoung, a prosecutor who refused to be bought off. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 4 Aug. 2026 Requirements are the key element of a NASA planning document like this, the bureaucratic currency by which NASA buys off on the safety of a spacecraft, such as the amount of habitable volume the agency requires. — Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 10 July 2026 My most recent purchase is a Cleveland 7w with 23-degree loft that was a great buy off eBay. — Joe Kinsey Outkick, FOXNews.com, 6 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for buy off

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

Rhymes for buy off

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Browse Nearby Words

buyo
buy off
buy one's way
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Buy off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/buy%20off. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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