buoy

noun

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\ ˈbü-ē

, ˈbȯi

Definition of buoy

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : float sense 2 especially, nautical : a floating object moored to the bottom to mark a channel or something (such as a shoal) lying under the water swam out toward the buoy

2 : life buoy

buoy

verb

buoyed; buoying; buoys

Definition of buoy (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

1 : to mark by or as if by a float or buoy buoy an anchor

2a : to keep afloat a raft buoyed by empty oil drums

b : support, uplift an economy buoyed by the dramatic postwar growth of industry — Time

3 : to raise the spirits of —usually used with up hope buoys him up

intransitive verb

: float —usually used with up They buoyed up like a cork.

More Example Sentences Phrases Containing buoy Learn More About buoy

Examples of buoy in a Sentence

Verb The tax breaks should help to buoy the economy.

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun It’s bad enough in normal conditions, but when the wind blows, the Island Hole at Sawgrass is the size of a buoy. — Nick Canepa Columnist, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Mar. 2022 For 25 years, an oceanographic buoy named Peggy has been moored in the middle of the Bering Sea collecting data on ocean conditions for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. — Heather Hansman, Outside Online, 27 Apr. 2020 That left only seven people competing in the ol' balance-on-a-narrow-perch-while-holding-a-buoy-with-two-handles contest. — Dalton Ross, EW.com, 21 Apr. 2022 In the Immunity Challenge, castaways held a buoy by supporting it with two rods on a narrow platform. — Ben Flanagan | Bflanagan@al.com, al, 21 Apr. 2022 But somehow, a possum ended up hugging a buoy in the Tasman Sea before being rescued by the authorities. — People Staff, PEOPLE.com, 29 Mar. 2022 The rogue wave in the study was measured via a MarineLabs buoy approximately 4.3 miles (7 km) off of the coast of Ucluelet, British Columbia. — Tom Sater, CNN, 12 Feb. 2022 The long, thin buoy is one portion of the two-part Air Deployable Active Receiver (ADAR) system. — Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, 6 Jan. 2022 The study was initially funded by the Maryland Energy Administration and deployed by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources to collect data on the buoy system. — Lilly Price, Baltimore Sun, 31 Mar. 2022 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb This has helped buoy equities in the country, Mr. Schamotta said, as more investors have placed long bets that the country’s currency will rise in value. — Dion Rabouin, WSJ, 29 Mar. 2022 However, an expansive approach could buoy young people whom Democrats view as a central part of their coalition, allowing Biden to deliver concrete results when many of his proposals from the left remain stalled on Capitol Hill. — al, 30 Apr. 2022 However, an expansive approach could buoy young people whom Democrats view as a central part of their coalition, allowing Biden to deliver concrete results when many of his proposals from the left remain stalled on Capitol Hill. — Erin Prater, Fortune, 30 Apr. 2022 The steady job growth has failed to buoy President Joe Biden's flagging popularity in opinion polls, with the gains overshadowed in the public's mind by the chronically high inflation rate. — Arkansas Online, 2 Apr. 2022 That should be something to buoy his standing with the public. — Damon Linker, The Week, 19 Apr. 2022 While separate, this effort, which has raised $870,000, is sure to buoy his campaign. — Benjamin Oreskes, Los Angeles Times, 1 Feb. 2022 Officials had hoped snowmelt would buoy Lake Powell on the Arizona-Utah border to ensure its dam could continue to supply power. — Felicia Fonseca, The Arizona Republic, 14 Apr. 2022 The play jolts alive when Rockwell enters, and the Oscar-winner is practically compelling enough to buoy this staging. — Daniel D'addario, Variety, 14 Apr. 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'buoy.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.