Illustration of buoy
- buoy 1
buoyed; buoying; buoys
1
: to mark by or as if by a float or buoy
buoy an anchor
2
3
: to raise the spirits of
—usually used with up
hope buoys him up
: float
—usually used with up
They buoyed up like a cork.
Examples of buoy in a Sentence
Verb
The tax breaks should help to buoy the economy.
Recent Examples on the Web
David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Apr. 2024
Litigation is ongoing over a buoy barrier installed by Texas in the Rio Grande, and a new law that would permit state officials to arrest and deport migrants who crossed the border illegally.
—Henry Gass, The Christian Science Monitor, 5 Apr. 2024
The buoy shape is easy for little ones to grasp and splash around with.
—Christin Perry, Parents, 29 Mar. 2024
The temperature was about 47 degrees Fahrenheit before dawn on Tuesday, according to a buoy that collects data for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
—Lawrence Richard, Fox News, 28 Mar. 2024
The water temperature was about 47 degrees Fahrenheit before dawn, according to a buoy that collects data for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
—Summer Lin, Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2024
The court’s order addressed just one aspect of the clashes between the White House and Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas, who has embarked on a multibillion-dollar campaign to deter migrants, including by installing razor wire along the banks of the Rio Grande and a barrier of buoys in the river.
—Adam Liptak, New York Times, 19 Mar. 2024
The Coast Guard Cutter Alder, a 225-foot buoy tender, was on its way to Humboldt Bay Friday morning while the vessel was about 30 miles offshore from the town of Fort Bragg, the release said.
—Taylor Romine, CNN, 16 Mar. 2024
Restaurant Lilja piles Finnish produce on the plate, including seaweed from its dedicated buoy.
—Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 5 Jan. 2024
Michael Andor Brodeur, Washington Post, 8 Apr. 2024
Patel’s good intentions may be obscured by novice storytelling and last-minute studio measures, but at a time when Indian industries like Bollywood increasingly toe the party line, Monkey Man is buoyed by enough political gusto to still ruffle a few feathers.
—Siddhant Adlakha, TIME, 5 Apr. 2024
Prices for the women's tournament have shot up amid surging demand for tickets, buoyed by stellar on-court performances of Louisiana State University's Angel Reese and the University of Iowa's Caitlin Clark.
—Khristopher J. Brooks, CBS News, 4 Apr. 2024
The rich, buoyed by their relative economic stability, are less preyed upon by the promise of millions or billions.
—Chloe Berger, Fortune, 4 Apr. 2024
She is clearly newly buoyed by the energy of New York—seeing old friends, having her kids visit the penguins at the Central Park Zoo, experiencing the friendly clubbiness of backstage Broadway life for the first time.
—Chloe Schama, Vogue, 2 Apr. 2024
In the throes of the Great Depression, the nation looked to Hollywood to buoy its spirts, to escape from mediocrity.
—Angelica Aboulhosn, Smithsonian Magazine, 26 Mar. 2024
Prices have been buoyed by expectations that cuts to interest rates are coming this year and by signals that the economy remains remarkably resilient.
—Elaine Kurtenbach, Quartz, 11 Mar. 2024
Today, buoyed in part by Tesla’s business, CATL is the world’s largest battery maker.
—John Liu, New York Times, 27 Mar. 2024
Noun
The law bans foam egg cartons, takeout containers, meat trays, coolers, ice chests, dock floats and mooring buoys.
—David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Apr. 2024
Litigation is ongoing over a buoy barrier installed by Texas in the Rio Grande, and a new law that would permit state officials to arrest and deport migrants who crossed the border illegally.
—Henry Gass, The Christian Science Monitor, 5 Apr. 2024
The buoy shape is easy for little ones to grasp and splash around with.
—Christin Perry, Parents, 29 Mar. 2024
The temperature was about 47 degrees Fahrenheit before dawn on Tuesday, according to a buoy that collects data for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
—Lawrence Richard, Fox News, 28 Mar. 2024
The water temperature was about 47 degrees Fahrenheit before dawn, according to a buoy that collects data for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
—Summer Lin, Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2024
The court’s order addressed just one aspect of the clashes between the White House and Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas, who has embarked on a multibillion-dollar campaign to deter migrants, including by installing razor wire along the banks of the Rio Grande and a barrier of buoys in the river.
—Adam Liptak, New York Times, 19 Mar. 2024
The Coast Guard Cutter Alder, a 225-foot buoy tender, was on its way to Humboldt Bay Friday morning while the vessel was about 30 miles offshore from the town of Fort Bragg, the release said.
—Taylor Romine, CNN, 16 Mar. 2024
Restaurant Lilja piles Finnish produce on the plate, including seaweed from its dedicated buoy.
—Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 5 Jan. 2024
Verb
And the music was buoyed by especially decorous playing by concertmaster Sally McLain, harpist Eric Sabatino and flutist Nicolette Oppelt.
—Michael Andor Brodeur, Washington Post, 8 Apr. 2024
Patel’s good intentions may be obscured by novice storytelling and last-minute studio measures, but at a time when Indian industries like Bollywood increasingly toe the party line, Monkey Man is buoyed by enough political gusto to still ruffle a few feathers.
—Siddhant Adlakha, TIME, 5 Apr. 2024
Prices for the women's tournament have shot up amid surging demand for tickets, buoyed by stellar on-court performances of Louisiana State University's Angel Reese and the University of Iowa's Caitlin Clark.
—Khristopher J. Brooks, CBS News, 4 Apr. 2024
The rich, buoyed by their relative economic stability, are less preyed upon by the promise of millions or billions.
—Chloe Berger, Fortune, 4 Apr. 2024
She is clearly newly buoyed by the energy of New York—seeing old friends, having her kids visit the penguins at the Central Park Zoo, experiencing the friendly clubbiness of backstage Broadway life for the first time.
—Chloe Schama, Vogue, 2 Apr. 2024
In the throes of the Great Depression, the nation looked to Hollywood to buoy its spirts, to escape from mediocrity.
—Angelica Aboulhosn, Smithsonian Magazine, 26 Mar. 2024
Prices have been buoyed by expectations that cuts to interest rates are coming this year and by signals that the economy remains remarkably resilient.
—Elaine Kurtenbach, Quartz, 11 Mar. 2024
Today, buoyed in part by Tesla’s business, CATL is the world’s largest battery maker.
—John Liu, New York Times, 27 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'buoy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Noun and Verb
Middle English boye, probably from Middle Dutch boeye; akin to Old High German bouhhan sign — more at beacon
First Known Use
Noun
13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Verb
1596, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of buoy was
in the 13th century
Phrases Containing buoy
Dictionary Entries Near buoy
Cite this Entry
“Buoy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/buoy. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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More from Merriam-Webster on buoy
Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for buoy
Nglish: Translation of buoy for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of buoy for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about buoy
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