buy off
verb
bought off; buying off; buys off
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
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Completing the circle on only the second trade of the entire season (!), Cleveland then re-routed Šarić to Chicago and sent a 2027 second-round pick with the Kings’ pick to buy off the Bulls.
—
John Hollinger, New York Times, 1 Feb. 2026
There were attempts to buy off players from Saint Louis, LaSalle and Fordham, members of the Atlantic 10 Conference, generally considered one of the best leagues outside traditional powerhouses of the Big East, Big 12, Big Ten, ACC and SEC.
—Tom Winter, NBC news, 15 Jan. 2026
China floods the zone with lots of engineers, almost buying off the votes.
—Krysta Escobar, CNBC, 6 Dec. 2025
Bothersome ghosts can be bought off or sent packing.
—Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 23 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for buy off
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John Hollinger, New York Times, 1 Feb. 2026
There were attempts to buy off players from Saint Louis, LaSalle and Fordham, members of the Atlantic 10 Conference, generally considered one of the best leagues outside traditional powerhouses of the Big East, Big 12, Big Ten, ACC and SEC.
—Tom Winter, NBC news, 15 Jan. 2026
China floods the zone with lots of engineers, almost buying off the votes.
—Krysta Escobar, CNBC, 6 Dec. 2025
Bothersome ghosts can be bought off or sent packing.
—Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 23 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for buy off
Cite this Entry
“Buy off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/buy%20off. Accessed 10 Feb. 2026.
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