as in lovers
a person with a strong and habitual liking for something
he's such a film buff that he owns over 3,000 movies
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in rubs
to make smooth by friction
she learned to buff semiprecious stones in order to make her own jewelry
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in polishes
to make smooth or glossy usually by repeatedly applying surface pressure
the janitor buffed the lobby floor until it shone
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 buffs
Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 27 Sep. 2025
Another nearby point of interest for history buffs is Historic Blenheim and Civil War Interpretive Center, a Greek Revival-style house dating to 1859 that preserves signatures and pictographs from Federal soldiers who once lived there.
—Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 27 Sep. 2025
With streaming platforms becoming more popular over the years, physically going to the movies has been on the decline, and there’s been a growing lack of community for movie-goers and film buffs.
—Alexa Stone, Kansas City Star, 24 Sep. 2025
Kicking off its festival run at San Sebastian, the doc is primarily of interest to dance buffs and devotees of both performers, but may wind up courting a subset of the audience for such crossover theater-cinema events as the National Theater’s popular NT Live releases.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 21 Sep. 2025
But the glittering Jazz Age space is sure to attract history buffs and cocktail lovers alike, no matter the weather.
—Jess Fleming, Twin Cities, 19 Sep. 2025
The flat edge lays down product, the rounded side buffs and blends, and the precision tip gets into all the hard-to-reach areas like nostrils and lash lines.
—Sophia Panych, Allure, 16 Sep. 2025
The steadily increasing celebrity presence put the Sundance Film Festival on the radar of awards voters and movie buffs alike.
—Jack Smart, PEOPLE, 16 Sep. 2025
For movie buffs, the Anker Nebula Cosmos Laser 4K portable projector drops a huge $900, turning any wall into a theater screen without a messy setup.
—PC Magazine, 16 Sep. 2025
Noun
Theater lovers, though, often head to Shakespeare & Company, a long-running festival with a busy calendar of plays, while readers and history buffs make time for The Mount, Edith Wharton’s former estate.
—Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 27 Sep. 2025
Another nearby point of interest for history buffs is Historic Blenheim and Civil War Interpretive Center, a Greek Revival-style house dating to 1859 that preserves signatures and pictographs from Federal soldiers who once lived there.
—Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 27 Sep. 2025
With streaming platforms becoming more popular over the years, physically going to the movies has been on the decline, and there’s been a growing lack of community for movie-goers and film buffs.
—Alexa Stone, Kansas City Star, 24 Sep. 2025
Kicking off its festival run at San Sebastian, the doc is primarily of interest to dance buffs and devotees of both performers, but may wind up courting a subset of the audience for such crossover theater-cinema events as the National Theater’s popular NT Live releases.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 21 Sep. 2025
But the glittering Jazz Age space is sure to attract history buffs and cocktail lovers alike, no matter the weather.
—Jess Fleming, Twin Cities, 19 Sep. 2025
The flat edge lays down product, the rounded side buffs and blends, and the precision tip gets into all the hard-to-reach areas like nostrils and lash lines.
—Sophia Panych, Allure, 16 Sep. 2025
The steadily increasing celebrity presence put the Sundance Film Festival on the radar of awards voters and movie buffs alike.
—Jack Smart, PEOPLE, 16 Sep. 2025
For movie buffs, the Anker Nebula Cosmos Laser 4K portable projector drops a huge $900, turning any wall into a theater screen without a messy setup.
—PC Magazine, 16 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for buffs
Noun
-
Wildlife lovers will find the endemic Florida scrub jay in the park year-round.—
Evie Carrick,
Travel + Leisure,
14 Oct. 2025
-
Season 3 found Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton) in a friends-to-lovers arc with neighbor Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan), who’d harbored a crush on him for years.—
Ryan Schwartz,
TVLine,
13 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Specifically, Byron’s enthusiasm for Guinness — the beer and the family — rubs him the wrong way.—
Keith Phipps,
Vulture,
26 Sep. 2025
-
Ray, grateful for the distraction, rubs my Lab behind his ears and tells me how much Michelle loved dogs.—
Ted Katauskas,
Outside,
23 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The single-button power control is a favorite feature of our reviewer Williams, as well as the fluffy optic cleaner head that cleans and polishes her hard floors.—
Nashia Baker,
Architectural Digest,
25 Sep. 2025
-
Next, the gel polishes themselves had to work with the specific wavelengths of the Olive & June lamp.—
Megan McIntyre,
Allure,
16 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
After taking a break from live performances in 2024, pop star Demi Lovato is ready to give fans a new live show to celebrate her new album.—
Stephen Daw,
Billboard,
13 Oct. 2025
-
Posed with a slight smile, the now 8-year-old has shed the long, bouncy curls Drake fans had grown accustomed to.—
DeMicia Inman,
VIBE.com,
13 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Gallego accused Johnson of delaying the swearing-in to prevent movement on the Jeffrey Epstein files discharge petition.—
Lauren Peller,
ABC News,
8 Oct. 2025
-
Mike Johnson ducks Epstein files questions, refuses to swear in Grijalva!—
The Hill,
The Hill,
7 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Remove any shoots and suckers that appear on the trunk or near the roots, and get rid of crossing or dead branches.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
13 Oct. 2025
-
And as captured by production’s cameras, that’s exactly what happened after Jake was chomped on by one of those very dangerous l’il suckers.—
Nick Caruso,
TVLine,
8 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Touch in Sol’s fan-favorite primer smooths skin with a lightweight, velvety finish that blurs the appearance of pores and grips onto makeup in place all day.—
Sarah Han,
Allure,
9 Oct. 2025
-
Whether powered by retinol or antioxidant-rich botanicals, each formula firms and smooths the delicate eye area—while calming agents like centella asiatica and panthenol help prevent irritation.—
Conçetta Ciarlo,
Vogue,
8 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The accessibility of online sportsbooks has capitalized on Gen Z’s love of gambling, with enthusiasts defending the practice as a form of investment.—
Sasha Rogelberg,
Fortune,
11 Oct. 2025
-
When football was introduced in the early 1890s, beer enthusiasts instantly took to the sport and straddled the Mississippi River like a roulette wheel, only with one side wearing red and the other black and gold.—
Scott Dochterman,
New York Times,
10 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Buffs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/buffs. Accessed 17 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share