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as in to conceal
to put into a hiding place buried his face in his hands as his wife recounted the embarrassing incident

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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Synonym Chooser

How is the word bury distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of bury are conceal, hide, screen, and secrete. While all these words mean "to withhold or withdraw from sight," bury implies covering up so as to hide completely.

buried the treasure

When would conceal be a good substitute for bury?

The meanings of conceal and bury largely overlap; however, conceal usually does imply intent and often specifically implies a refusal to divulge.

concealed the weapon

Where would hide be a reasonable alternative to bury?

The synonyms hide and bury are sometimes interchangeable, but hide may or may not suggest intent.

hide in the closet
a house hidden in the woods

When might screen be a better fit than bury?

While the synonyms screen and bury are close in meaning, screen implies an interposing of something that prevents discovery.

a house screened by trees

When is it sensible to use secrete instead of bury?

The words secrete and bury can be used in similar contexts, but secrete suggests a depositing in a place unknown to others.

secreted the amulet inside his shirt

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of bury Wrapped in a towel, barely stirring, but slightly breathing, was a newborn baby girl buried beneath a foot of earth. Aishwarya S. Iyer, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2025 His two estranged children (James Corden, Jessica Gunning), desperate for an inheritance, hire Lori, an art restorer and former forger (Michaela Coel), to pose as a prospective assistant in order to access eight unfinished canvases Julian has buried deep in storage. Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 16 Oct. 2025 There’s a high chance some of these were killed during the heavy Israeli bombardment and buried under the rubble. Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 16 Oct. 2025 If all this wood could be collected and buried instead of burned or allowed to decompose, those 14 billion tons of carbon would be safely removed every year. Syris Valentine, Scientific American, 16 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for bury
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bury
Verb
  • She was later interred at Fairview Cemetery.
    Joshua Rhett Miller, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Oct. 2025
  • Navy personnel collected the remains of the fallen sailors from December 1941 to April 1942, which were interred in the Halawa and Nu’uanu Cemeteries, the statement said.
    Rebecca Cohen, NBC news, 6 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Her open limbs dangle all over the velvet, her pubic triangle hardly concealed.
    Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 11 Oct. 2025
  • What begins as a crime caper morphs into an unexpected rom-com as Jeff spends more time with Leigh’s family and even joins her local church, all while concealing his real identity and living behind a display of bicycles at Leigh’s workplace.
    Keaton Bell, Vogue, 11 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Kate Schneider and Caroline Handwerk each scored in the third quarter to separate from a halftime draw, finally overcoming a standout job from Bulldogs goalie Shealyn Murphy (15 saves).
    Tom Mulherin, Boston Herald, 17 Oct. 2025
  • The Cowboys’ defense has been so bad, not even elite quarterback play has been able to overcome it consistently.
    Mike Sando, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Of course, the bags don’t actually hide anything; in fact, they are reserved specifically for, and definitively signal, the drinking of alcohol.
    Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 14 Oct. 2025
  • The measure, which has failed to make it through the Legislature twice before, would require insurance companies to cover additional screenings, like an MRI, for women diagnosed with breast tissue that can hide cancer from traditional mammograms.
    Molly Beck, jsonline.com, 14 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • There was one consequential defensive bust that was likely related to Warner’s absence, while Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield was particularly effective throwing to the middle of the field, where Warner usually roams.
    Matt Barrows, New York Times, 14 Oct. 2025
  • Quarterback Jared Goff, originally under center, went in motion out to the left and running back David Montgomery threw a pass to him.
    Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 13 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Since being deployed to the nation’s capital in August, many guardsmen have been assigned to help with beautification projects like picking up trash and laying mulch, according to CNN.
    Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 13 Oct. 2025
  • With each brick laid at The Site, The Toy will document dad’s decades-long dream.
    Dana Harris-Bridson, IndieWire, 13 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • And Mac Jones is out in San Francisco, reminding everyone what confidence and a great teacher can look like together, when they’re not smothered by dysfunction.
    Dianna Russini, New York Times, 11 Oct. 2025
  • On the table next to Captain Purdie’s bunk is what looks like a copper coin, a fringe of glutinous seaweed smothering it to the surface of the wood.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • In order to become proper Chinese third graders—to go all the way from Heaven to tomb—Natasha and Ariel needed to memorize a total of sixteen hundred characters.
    Peter Hessler, The New Yorker, 26 June 2023

Cite this Entry

“Bury.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bury. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on bury

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