as in store
made beforehand in large numbers
a bought dress that looked like a high-end designer item
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in purchased
to get possession of (something) by giving money in exchange for
I really want to buy that new book, but I don't have enough money right now
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in bribed
to influence someone with a bribe
there were rumors that the mobster had bought the judge
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in believed
to regard as right or true
if you buy that story, then I have a bridge in Brooklyn you might be interested in
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of bought
Patrick Frater, Variety, 14 July 2022
Cineplex has also begun offering refunds to all customers that pre-bought tickets for upcoming film screenings.
—Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Jan. 2022
Adjective
The chain said that refunds would be available to patrons who had pre-bought tickets.
—Patrick Frater, Variety, 14 July 2022
Cineplex has also begun offering refunds to all customers that pre-bought tickets for upcoming film screenings.
—Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Jan. 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bought
Adjective
-
More than 82% of new space last year was built for traditional, specialty and super-store grocers.—
Brian Womack,
Dallas Morning News,
7 Jan. 2026
-
By then, store interior displays were as critical as the windows, reflecting each city’s unique take on the holiday season with decorations ranging from subdued to outrageous.—
Tonya Blazio-Licorish,
Footwear News,
23 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Harold had been given a root beer float, poisoned with ethylene glycol purchased by Ashley, as those damning text messages showed.—
Peter Van Sant,
CBS News,
5 Apr. 2026
-
In 2016, the Empire struck back when the building’s lease was purchased from the MOD—for 250 years—for $440 million by the global conglomerate The Hinduja Group, founded in Shikarpur and Bombay in 1914 and led by Gopichand Hinduja, an Indian billionaire.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
According to grand jury transcripts disclosed by the DOJ from the criminal case against Noel, an FBI agent testified banking records of the guards were examined, and there was no evidence that Noel or Thomas had been bribed.—
Peter Charalambous,
ABC News,
13 Mar. 2026
-
Husted was Ohio's lieutenant governor-elect in early 2019, when prosecutors claim Jones and Dowling bribed the late Randazzo in exchange for legislative and regulatory favors.—
JULIE CARR SMYTH THE ASSOCIATED PRESS,
Arkansas Online,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The tanker is believed to have carried approximately 9,000 gallons of gasoline during the crash.—
Shambhavi Rimal,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
6 Apr. 2026
-
The researchers believed that superior hardware was being reserved for profit-generating activities.—
Ronan Farrow,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
This Diamondbacks rookie had a stellar debut.—
Nicole Fallert,
USA Today,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Starters carry weight Suggs got going early with a nine-point first quarter and had 13 by the half with four rebounds and four assists.—
Jason Beede,
The Orlando Sentinel,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Bondi took her marching orders and launched investigations of those the president named.—
Austin Sarat,
The Conversation,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Idaho State troopers, who handle law enforcement duties at the Capitol, took the nine protesters into custody.—
Becca Savransky,
Idaho Statesman,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
And research shows young people are particularly at risk of sports gambling problems, lured in by splashy advertisements often featuring celebrities and promises of low risks and high rewards.—
Alana Wise,
NPR,
4 Apr. 2026
-
Prosecutors say Atlanta rapper Gucci Mane was lured to a Dallas studio, then allegedly kidnapped and robbed at gunpoint by a group that included Pooh Shiesty and Big30.—
Sergio Candido,
CBS News,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Fishback had referred to Donalds, his opponent in the Republican primary, who is Black, as a slave because Donalds accepted money from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.—
Antonia Hitchens,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
-
Submissions are being accepted in three categories, from students in grades K-8, high school students, and college and trade school students.—
Anne Gelhaus,
Mercury News,
5 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bought.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bought. Accessed 8 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
