bury

verb

ˈber-ē 

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

Synonyms

• entomb
• hearse
• inhume
• inter
• lay
• put away
• tomb

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

The event will be an interactive family-style seafood soiree on the Moonlight Deck, featuring a giant fish placed on a bed of hot coals, covered with seaweed and burlap, and buried in sand to roast inside a salt shell. —Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Apr. 2024

But most, including cases remarkably similar to what happened last month in Baltimore, have never been made public, buried deep in a federal database. —USA TODAY, 11 Apr. 2024

There is evidence that the room was part of a building that was being restored when Mount Vesuvius abruptly erupted, burying the city in pumice stones and ash in A.D. 79, Mr. Zuchtriegel said in a telephone interview. —Elisabetta Povoledo, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2024

This trend intensified throughout the 1970s and 1980s as food companies buried consumers in hard to decipher nutrition information. —TIME, 11 Apr. 2024

Also, don't miss the Meriwether Lewis Site; Lewis (of the Lewis and Clark Expedition) died and was buried seven miles east of the town in 1809. —Skye Sherman, Travel + Leisure, 10 Apr. 2024

Hermosillo said police located a human head buried in the backyard. —Alex Brizee, Idaho Statesman, 10 Apr. 2024

The treasure also includes over 5,000 gold and silver coins, a silver bowl, silver ingots and animal bones, all buried during the Roman Empire’s conquest of Britain. —Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 Apr. 2024

Navy personnel later recovered the remains of the deceased crew, who were buried in Hawaii cemeteries. —Zenebou Sylla, CNN, 30 Mar. 2024

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

Phrases Containing bury

• bury the hatchet

Kids Definition

bury

verb

ˈber-ē 

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

ˈber-ē 

town in Greater Manchester, northwestern England population 172,200