bury

verb

ˈber-ē How to pronounce bury (audio)
ˈbe-rē,
 also  ˈbər-
buried; burying

transitive verb

1
: to dispose of by depositing in or as if in the earth
buried their pet rabbit in the backyard
especially : to inter with funeral ceremonies
was buried with full military honors
2
a
: to conceal by or as if by covering with earth
a dog burying a bone
buried treasure
b
: to cover from view
buried her face in her hands
Their car was buried under the snow.
3
a
: to have done with
burying their differences
b
: to conceal in obscurity
buried the retraction among the classified ads
c
: submerge, engross
usually used with in
buried himself in his books
4
: to put (a playing card) out of play by placing it in or under the dealer's pack
5
sports : to succeed emphatically or impressively in making (a shot)
bury a jumper
bury a putt
6
: to defeat overwhelmingly
They were buried by a score of 15-2.
Phrases
bury the hatchet
: to settle a disagreement : become reconciled
time for them to bury the hatchet and start working together again
Choose the Right Synonym for bury

hide, conceal, screen, secrete, bury mean to withhold or withdraw from sight.

hide may or may not suggest intent.

hide in the closet
a house hidden in the woods

conceal usually does imply intent and often specifically implies a refusal to divulge.

concealed the weapon

screen implies an interposing of something that prevents discovery.

a house screened by trees

secrete suggests a depositing in a place unknown to others.

secreted the amulet inside his shirt

bury implies covering up so as to hide completely.

buried the treasure

Examples of bury in a Sentence

He was buried with full military honors. Their ancestors are buried in the local cemetery. cultures that bury their dead The dog buried her bone. He buried the money in the backyard. the search for buried treasure He has learned to bury his feelings. She buried her face in her hands. The disclaimer was buried in the fine print. The newspaper covered the story, but it was buried in the back of section C.
Recent Examples on the Web Wright might never surf the fender of a moving train, but he’s nailed how to make audiences see the churn inside a stubborn literature professor who buries his emotions under concrete. Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2024 There has been little follow-up and no drilling despite widespread, coincident geophysical and base/precious metal geochemical anomalies consistent with the possible presence of a poorly exposed to shallowly buried large porphyry system. Sacramento Bee, 7 Mar. 2024 Gidley was wearing an avalanche beacon, which can help locate people who are buried. Kerry Breen, CBS News, 5 Mar. 2024 One especially sumptuous tomb held an individual dubbed the Ivory Lady, who was buried between 2900 and 2800 B.C.E. with exotic items including an African elephant tusk and a clay platter bearing chemical traces of wine and cannabis. Bridget Alex, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Mar. 2024 To keep out all but the most determined coyotes, install a 6–7-foot fence, buried about a foot deep. Karl Schneider, The Indianapolis Star, 4 Mar. 2024 The ski resort Sierra-at-Tahoe in Twin Bridges shared images with CNN of snow piling up against the door of the resort’s maintenance shop and a car in the resort’s guest parking buried in snow that fell overnight. Susannah Cullinane, CNN, 4 Mar. 2024 The senior buried eight consecutive free throws in the clutch to end McClatchy’s Cinderella run. Nathan Canilao, The Mercury News, 3 Mar. 2024 The same storm system caught officials and residents in the San Bernardino Mountains of Southern California off guard, trapping people for days in houses that were buried to the eaves in snow. Megan Michelson, New York Times, 1 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bury.' 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

Middle English burien, birien, beryen, going back to Old English byrgan, byrian, going back to Germanic *burgjan-, probably meaning "to conceal" (whence also Old Norse byrgja "to close, shut, hide"), zero-grade derivative from the base of *bergan- "to keep safe" — more at harbor entry 1

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of bury was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near bury

Cite this Entry

“Bury.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bury. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

bury

verb
buried; burying
1
: to place a dead body in the earth, a grave, or the sea
2
: to place in the ground and cover over for concealment
buried treasure
3
: to cover up : hide
buried her face in her hands

Geographical Definition

Bury

geographical name

town in Greater Manchester, northwestern England population 172,200

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