BUFFER Synonyms: 80 Similar and Opposite Words

buffer 1 of 2

noun

ˈbə-fər

Definition of buffer

as in mediator

one who works with opposing sides in order to bring about an agreement it took a friend serving as a buffer between the feuding siblings to get them to speak to one another again

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in pad

something that serves as a protective barrier the excelsior acts as an additional buffer for the marble bust during shipping

Synonyms & Similar Words

buffer

2 of 2

verb

as in to soften

to lessen the shock of during my walk an umbrella and thick coat buffered the freezing rain

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 buffer

Noun

His chambers are in Islandia, on Long Island, with tennis trophies on the desk and an electric shoe buffer in the corner. — Zach Helfand, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026 Building cardiorespiratory fitness and maintaining a consistent exercise practice may provide leaders with an additional buffer during those demanding periods. — Julian Hayes Ii, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026

Verb

Context can be diagnosed, buffered, and in many cases reshaped. — Mary Crossan, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026 Remittances, for example, played a major role in buffering poor countries from the dire economic consequences of the COVID pandemic. — Eghosa E. Osaghae, Foreign Affairs, 11 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for buffer

Recent Examples of Synonyms for buffer

Noun

Preclinical research also suggests that quinoa saponins may reduce the production of inflammatory mediators and pro-inflammatory molecules.

— Amy Brownstein, Verywell Health, 4 Sep. 2026
Qatar has been an important mediator in the US-Iran conflict.

— Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of mediator

Noun

Robot hands range from fully articulated five-finger designs to simple pincer grippers, and tactile sensors can rely on fundamentally different physics, from measuring changes in resistance to recording images of a soft gel pad deforming.

— IEEE Spectrum, IEEE Spectrum, 10 Sep. 2026
Tariffs on cement, road salt and hospital pads were removed and replaced with duties on all-terrain vehicles, some cheeses and motorboats.

— Steve Kopack, NBC news, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of pad

Verb

This unit has plenty of opportunities to gel by November, when the schedule softens a bit before a potential playoff push.

— Zak Keefer, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
But while anti-immigrant, pro-Russian parties have made inroads across the continent in recent years, there have also been notable reversals, and some have softened their views to build coalitions with moderates.

— ABC News, ABC News, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of soften

Noun

Bobby Roy, the union's chief negotiator, said the state rejected proposals from the union without making a counterproposal.

— Darrielle Fair, CBS News, 8 Sep. 2026
In 2019, according to her campaign, Hinojosa was a key Democratic negotiator on the largest school finance overhaul in a generation.

— Mateo Rosiles, USA Today, 7 Sep. 2026

Definition of negotiator

Verb

Cheng Xin | Getty Images China's consumer and wholesale inflation rebounded in August, as higher global commodity costs and surging high-tech demand cushioned persistently tepid domestic consumption.

— Anniek Bao, CNBC, 9 Sep. 2026
Wall Street’s own economists find that the households most exposed to AI’s risks are also the ones cushioned by stock portfolios large enough to absorb them.

— Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of cushion

Noun

Bottom line Booking Holdings is being priced as a legacy intermediary awaiting disruption.

— Isabella Gao, CNBC, 9 Sep. 2026
For the tech bros who have been given the power to make policy will soon algorithmicize everything left, stripping even the token human intermediary from the process of adjudicating care.

— Elizabeth Nicholas, Vanity Fair, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of intermediary

Noun

She‘s still reeling from how quickly her business went from a bumper batch of orders to battling for its life.

— Iris Kwok, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026
Other festival highlights include a giant pumpkin regatta, glass making workshop, grape stomping competition, pumping carving, a youth makers market, crafts, face painting and bumper boats.

— Cathy Kozlowicz, jsonline.com, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of bumper

Browse Nearby Words

buffed

buffer

buffered

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Buffer.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/buffer. Accessed 13 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of buffer

noun

verb

Example Sentences

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