buy off
verb
bought off; buying off; buys off
1
: to induce to refrain (as from prosecution) by a payment or other consideration
2
: to free (as from military service) by payment
Examples of buy off in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Completing the circle on only the second trade of the entire season (!), Cleveland then re-routed Šarić to Chicago and sent a 2027 second-round pick with the Kings’ pick to buy off the Bulls.
—
John Hollinger, New York Times, 1 Feb. 2026
China floods the zone with lots of engineers, almost buying off the votes.
—Krysta Escobar, CNBC, 6 Dec. 2025
Bothersome ghosts can be bought off or sent packing.
—Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 23 Nov. 2025
Military man jailed in NC Inside Manchester’s Pontiac rental, police found a rifle bought off the street, his roof-carving tools and a North Carolina road map.
—Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 30 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for buy off
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John Hollinger, New York Times, 1 Feb. 2026
China floods the zone with lots of engineers, almost buying off the votes.
—Krysta Escobar, CNBC, 6 Dec. 2025
Bothersome ghosts can be bought off or sent packing.
—Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 23 Nov. 2025
Military man jailed in NC Inside Manchester’s Pontiac rental, police found a rifle bought off the street, his roof-carving tools and a North Carolina road map.
—Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 30 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for buy off
Cite this Entry
“Buy off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/buy%20off. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
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