1
: a blow especially with the hand
2
: something that strikes with telling force
buffeted; buffeting; buffets
1
: to strike sharply especially with the hand : cuff
2
: to strike repeatedly : batter
The waves buffeted the shore.
3
: to drive, force, move, or attack by or as if by repeated blows
schools being buffeted by budget cuts
: to make one's way especially under difficult conditions
plural buffets
1
furniture
: sideboard sense 1
2
a
: a counter for refreshments
went back to the buffet for a second helping
b
chiefly British
: a restaurant operated as a public convenience (as in a railway station)
c
: a meal set out on a buffet or table for ready access and informal service
a restaurant that offers a breakfast buffet
3
: an assortment of options or offerings : variety
Once you're up there among the clouds, you'll have a buffet of skiing options.—
Brad Wetzler
Brad Wetzler
: served informally especially as a buffet (see buffet entry 3 sense 2c)
a buffet meal
buffet luncheons
Examples of buffet in a Sentence
Noun (1)
delivered a powerful buffet to the side of the prisoner's head
Verb
The strong winds buffeted the ship.
fierce winds buffeted the small sailboat
Noun (2)
a buffet completed the kitchen set
Recent Examples on the Web
Regina Zumarraga, Travel + Leisure, 27 Apr. 2026
Adding a little bit of milk or stock helps to loosen the sauce slightly and keeps the dish from drying out when held warm on a buffet.
—Erin Merhar, Southern Living, 26 Apr. 2026
Gisela Salim-Peyer, The Atlantic, 23 Apr. 2026
The struggling low-cost airline has filed for bankruptcy protection twice, but has been buffeted by surging fuel costs and tepid customer demand for its products, even as other airlines that have skewed to more premium and business travels have seen their shares — and profits — surge.
—Rohan Goswami, semafor.com, 22 Apr. 2026
Julian Kheel, CNN Underscored, 1 June 2020
See All Example Sentences for buffet
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Noun
On the grounds of an old hacienda, find a regional food buffet, a refreshing cenote, a thrilling zip-line course in the jungle, and trails for hiking and biking around the verdant estate.
—Regina Zumarraga, Travel + Leisure, 27 Apr. 2026
Adding a little bit of milk or stock helps to loosen the sauce slightly and keeps the dish from drying out when held warm on a buffet.
—Erin Merhar, Southern Living, 26 Apr. 2026
Verb
Cubans for decades have been buffeted by great powers, repressed by their own government, crushed by economic crises, and paraded as the victims of a succession of sanctions imposed by the White House.
—Gisela Salim-Peyer, The Atlantic, 23 Apr. 2026
The struggling low-cost airline has filed for bankruptcy protection twice, but has been buffeted by surging fuel costs and tepid customer demand for its products, even as other airlines that have skewed to more premium and business travels have seen their shares — and profits — surge.
—Rohan Goswami, semafor.com, 22 Apr. 2026
Adjective
Customers can expect to see non-buffet-style food options, and social distancing will likely require a reduction in the number of people allowed in the usually crowded lounges.
—Julian Kheel, CNN Underscored, 1 June 2020
See All Example Sentences for buffet
Cite this Entry
“Buffet.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/buffet. Accessed 29 Apr. 2026.
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