buy off

verb

bought off; buying off; buys off

transitive verb

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
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The series takes its heroine’s emotional crossroads seriously while offering the fantasy of life lived in a perpetual glow, as sweet as a peach bought off a stand on the side of the road. Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 17 Dec. 2025 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

Word History

First Known Use

1614, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of buy off was in 1614

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Cite this Entry

“Buy off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/buy%20off. Accessed 9 Jan. 2026.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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