Buy Off

Pronunciation: /baɪ ɔf/

Definitions of buy off

verb to pay someone in order to persuade them to act in one's favor, especially illegally or dishonestly

Example Sentences

A1 She tried to buy off the guard with a bribe.

A2 The company attempted to buy off the competition by offering discounts.

B1 The politician was accused of trying to buy off voters with promises of tax cuts.

B2 The wealthy businessman tried to buy off the judge in order to win the case.

C1 Corporations often try to buy off politicians to influence legislation in their favor.

C2 The mafia boss attempted to buy off the jury in order to secure a not guilty verdict.

Examples of buy off in a Sentence

formal The company was accused of trying to buy off government officials to secure the contract.

informal He thought he could buy off the police officer with a bribe.

slang She tried to buy off her friends with free drinks at the bar.

figurative You can't just buy off your problems, you have to face them head on.

Grammatical Forms of buy off

• past tense: bought off
• plural: buy offs
• comparative: more bought off
• superlative: most bought off
• present tense: buys off
• future tense: will buy off
• perfect tense: has bought off
• continuous tense: is buying off
• singular: buys off
• positive degree: buys off
• infinitive: to buy off
• gerund: buying off
• participle: bought off

Origin and Evolution of buy off

First Known Use: 1250 year

Language of Origin: Old English

Story behind the word: The term 'buy off' originated from Middle English, derived from the Old English word 'bycgan' meaning to purchase or acquire.

Evolution of the word: Originally used in the context of purchasing goods or services, the term 'buy off' later evolved to also mean bribing or corrupting someone to gain their favor or silence.