verb to pay someone in order to persuade them to act in one's favor, especially illegally or dishonestly
In politics, 'buy off' is often used to describe the act of offering bribes or other forms of compensation to officials or politicians in order to influence their decisions or actions.
In the business world, 'buy off' refers to the act of giving someone money or other incentives in order to persuade them to act in a certain way, such as accepting a deal or making a decision in one's favor.
In discussions of ethics, 'buy off' is used to highlight the moral implications of using money or other incentives to manipulate or control others for personal gain.
In legal contexts, 'buy off' can refer to settling a dispute by offering a financial settlement to the opposing party in exchange for dropping legal action or accepting a compromise.
In the publishing industry, some authors may attempt to buy off negative reviews or bribe critics for positive feedback.
Ethical psychologists should never engage in the practice of buying off clients or manipulating research results for financial gain.
Corrupt politicians have been known to buy off officials or use their influence to gain unfair advantages in elections.
Some business executives may resort to buying off competitors or engaging in unethical practices to maintain market dominance.
Unscrupulous lawyers may try to buy off witnesses or manipulate evidence to win cases through unethical means.