1
as in rubbing
to make smooth by friction
she learned to buff semiprecious stones in order to make her own jewelry
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in polishing
to make smooth or glossy usually by repeatedly applying surface pressure
the janitor buffed the lobby floor until it shone
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of buffing
If needed, follow that up by buffing with a clean microfiber cloth.
—
Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 12 Sep. 2025
Instead, Bungie rolled out a TWAB last week that was nerfing player progression instead of buffing it.
—Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2025
Shea butter steps in to soothe your skin after buffing, while the lavender scent transforms your shower into a relaxing aromatherapeutic moment.
—Jennifer Hussein, Allure, 25 Aug. 2025
To soften the color, sheer out the formula by buffing excess product onto the back your hand before applying to the face.
—Erin Lassner, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 12 Sep. 2025
Instead, Bungie rolled out a TWAB last week that was nerfing player progression instead of buffing it.
—Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2025
Shea butter steps in to soothe your skin after buffing, while the lavender scent transforms your shower into a relaxing aromatherapeutic moment.
—Jennifer Hussein, Allure, 25 Aug. 2025
To soften the color, sheer out the formula by buffing excess product onto the back your hand before applying to the face.
—Erin Lassner, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for buffing
Verb
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But to have everyone there, rubbing elbows and being just as outlandish and quirky as ever, three decades ago just felt off.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
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Other signs that your cat is content and relaxed with you include kneading, and head rubbing and bunting.—
Maria Azzurra Volpe,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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This is why authorities at the National Park Service, which maintains the statue, have repeatedly rejected any notion of polishing away the green covering.—
Theo Burman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 Sep. 2025
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Silver Centerpieces For anyone who's ever gotten stuck polishing silver, there's good news.—
Heather Bien,
Southern Living,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Even the DeSantis administration might have some qualms about sanding off crosswalk markings within sight of the club where 49 people died in the early morning hours of June 12, 2016.—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
The Orlando Sentinel,
21 Aug. 2025
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The acid can stain or discolor the surface, possibly requiring sanding to remove.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
18 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Gallant, sleeveless and heavily tattooed, began slowly smoothing a white sheet atop his model’s shoulders.—
Sarah Larson,
New Yorker,
8 Sep. 2025
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The multi-styler comes with all kinds of attachments, including several long barrels, two smoothing brushes, a round volumizing brush, and a smoothing dryer.—
Isabel Garcia,
PEOPLE,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
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This budget-friendly Presto knife sharpener features a two-stage sharpening system for grinding knife blades and honing them to a polished and sharp finish.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
9 Sep. 2025
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Miley Cyrus shocked viewers by stripping down to a nude bikini top and briefs and grinding, twerking and thrusting on fellow performer Robin Thicke at the 2013 show in one of the raciest performances in MTV history.—
Kate Hogan,
PEOPLE,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
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In addition to the other crimes, court documents note Denis allegedly aided in filing false joint tax returns in 2018, 2019 and 2020, resulting in claims of hundreds of thousands of fraudulent refunds each year.—
Alexandra Koch,
FOXNews.com,
14 Sep. 2025
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That means proactive tax compliance planning is more important than ever, including ensuring current compliance by filing all required returns, paying any outstanding liabilities, and meeting foreign asset and accounts information reporting obligations.—
Kelly Phillips Erb,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
This budget-friendly Presto knife sharpener features a two-stage sharpening system for grinding knife blades and honing them to a polished and sharp finish.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
9 Sep. 2025
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Credit rating agencies are sharpening their focus on climate vulnerability, raising questions about whether sectors or sovereigns with large protection gaps could face higher borrowing costs.—
Felicia Jackson,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Buffing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/buffing. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.
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