buy off

verb

bought off; buying off; buys off

transitive verb

1
: to induce to refrain (as from prosecution) by a payment or other consideration
2
: to free (as from military service) by payment

Examples of buy off in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Both had apparently assumed, prior to October 7th, that Hamas could be deterred by periodic eruptions of overwhelming violence, or else be bought off by cash from Qatar. Bernard Avishai, New Yorker, 28 Mar. 2025 Since the fund launched a little over a year ago, those who bought off the hop are down 12.4% as of this writing, with dividends included. Brett Owens, Forbes, 19 Mar. 2025 Since 2005, when the Israelis withdrew settlements and military forces from Gaza, Israel, the United States, and the United Nations have tried to buy off Hamas while working with corrupt PA officials. Elliott Abrams, Foreign Affairs, 7 Feb. 2025 This was particularly true among SNA members, who thought some of their leaders had been bought off by Turkey. Nafees Hamid, Foreign Affairs, 31 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for buy off

Word History

First Known Use

1614, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of buy off was in 1614

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Cite this Entry

“Buy off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/buy%20off. Accessed 9 Apr. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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