Illustration of buoy
- buoy 1
buoyed; buoying; buoys
1
: to mark by or as if by a float or buoy
buoy an anchor
2
3
: to raise the spirits of
—usually used with up
hope buoys him up
: float
—usually used with up
They buoyed up like a cork.
Examples of buoy in a Sentence
Verb
The tax breaks should help to buoy the economy.
Recent Examples on the Web
Nicole Froio, refinery29.com, 15 Nov. 2023
Spanning roughly 1,000 feet, the buoys are designed to prevent migrants from swimming or wading to the U.S. side, but state officials did not seek authorization from the federal government before installing them.
—Nick Miroff, Washington Post, 30 Oct. 2023
That also includes deploying the buoys and razor wire.
—Henry Gass, The Christian Science Monitor, 26 Sep. 2023
The federal government is suing Texas for another impediment — a line of wrecking-ball-sized orange buoys positioned in the middle of the Rio Grande.
—Patrick J. McDonnell, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2023
It was tied up in some lobster buoys, Bryer recalled.
—Saleen Martin, USA TODAY, 30 Aug. 2023
Continued sticky dew points in the 60s help buoy temperatures, keeping them in the same range.
—A. Camden Walker, Washington Post, 6 Oct. 2023
The legislation comes as Texas is battling with the Biden administration over its efforts to build a buoy barrier in the Rio Grande.
—Adam Shaw, Fox News, 3 Oct. 2023
Many view the buoy barrier and razor wire as steps too far.
—Henry Gass, The Christian Science Monitor, 26 Sep. 2023
Tracy Wilkinson, Los Angeles Times, 15 Nov. 2023
The negotiations, which began in April, came as a number of unions across industries press employers for better pay and benefits, buoyed by a shortage of workers.
—Reuters, NBC News, 9 Nov. 2023
But the 2023 economy is showing the opposite, buoyed by a tight labor market and the spending of consumers nationwide.
—Rachel Siegel, Washington Post, 1 Nov. 2023
What about markets: In a twist, the prospect of a steady Fed policy buoyed markets and sent Treasury yields lower on Tuesday.
—Nicole Goodkind, CNN, 11 Oct. 2023
Ukraine’s fight to oust occupying Russian forces is being bolstered by a growing array of heavy American armaments – buoying fighters’ hopes even as analysts warn that weapons alone can’t guarantee victory.
—Anna Mulrine Grobe, The Christian Science Monitor, 28 Sep. 2023
Interviews with more than a dozen industry veterans — including executives, talent agents and producers — revealed deep anxiety about the turmoil in the business as consumers switch to streaming, abandoning lucrative pay-TV bundles that have long buoyed the industry.
—Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 10 Nov. 2023
Revenue at the company’s theme parks rose 17.2%, buoyed by new activity at its international operations.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 26 Oct. 2023
Citigroup booked $844 million in investment-banking fees for the three months that ended September 30, buoyed by stronger results in stock and bond underwriting.
—Charley Grant, WSJ, 13 Oct. 2023
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Noun
One of the bodies was discovered in the lines of orange buoys installed by Texas authorities, while the second one was found separately in the area of the buoys by the Beta Group of Piedras Negras.
—Nicole Froio, refinery29.com, 15 Nov. 2023
Spanning roughly 1,000 feet, the buoys are designed to prevent migrants from swimming or wading to the U.S. side, but state officials did not seek authorization from the federal government before installing them.
—Nick Miroff, Washington Post, 30 Oct. 2023
That also includes deploying the buoys and razor wire.
—Henry Gass, The Christian Science Monitor, 26 Sep. 2023
The federal government is suing Texas for another impediment — a line of wrecking-ball-sized orange buoys positioned in the middle of the Rio Grande.
—Patrick J. McDonnell, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2023
It was tied up in some lobster buoys, Bryer recalled.
—Saleen Martin, USA TODAY, 30 Aug. 2023
Continued sticky dew points in the 60s help buoy temperatures, keeping them in the same range.
—A. Camden Walker, Washington Post, 6 Oct. 2023
The legislation comes as Texas is battling with the Biden administration over its efforts to build a buoy barrier in the Rio Grande.
—Adam Shaw, Fox News, 3 Oct. 2023
Many view the buoy barrier and razor wire as steps too far.
—Henry Gass, The Christian Science Monitor, 26 Sep. 2023
Verb
Arevalo has also been buoyed by massive demonstrations in his favor organized by Guatemala’s large and long-oppressed Indigenous communities.
—Tracy Wilkinson, Los Angeles Times, 15 Nov. 2023
The negotiations, which began in April, came as a number of unions across industries press employers for better pay and benefits, buoyed by a shortage of workers.
—Reuters, NBC News, 9 Nov. 2023
But the 2023 economy is showing the opposite, buoyed by a tight labor market and the spending of consumers nationwide.
—Rachel Siegel, Washington Post, 1 Nov. 2023
What about markets: In a twist, the prospect of a steady Fed policy buoyed markets and sent Treasury yields lower on Tuesday.
—Nicole Goodkind, CNN, 11 Oct. 2023
Ukraine’s fight to oust occupying Russian forces is being bolstered by a growing array of heavy American armaments – buoying fighters’ hopes even as analysts warn that weapons alone can’t guarantee victory.
—Anna Mulrine Grobe, The Christian Science Monitor, 28 Sep. 2023
Interviews with more than a dozen industry veterans — including executives, talent agents and producers — revealed deep anxiety about the turmoil in the business as consumers switch to streaming, abandoning lucrative pay-TV bundles that have long buoyed the industry.
—Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 10 Nov. 2023
Revenue at the company’s theme parks rose 17.2%, buoyed by new activity at its international operations.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 26 Oct. 2023
Citigroup booked $844 million in investment-banking fees for the three months that ended September 30, buoyed by stronger results in stock and bond underwriting.
—Charley Grant, WSJ, 13 Oct. 2023
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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'buoy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Noun and Verb
Middle English boye, probably from Middle Dutch boeye; akin to Old High German bouhhan sign — more at beacon
First Known Use
Noun
13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Verb
1596, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of buoy was
in the 13th century
Phrases Containing buoy
Dictionary Entries Near buoy
Cite this Entry
“Buoy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/buoy. Accessed 28 Nov. 2023.
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More from Merriam-Webster on buoy
Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for buoy
Nglish: Translation of buoy for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of buoy for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about buoy
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