# buy up

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/buy-up
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To buy the whole of; to purchase the entire stock of something.

## Examples

- Investors buy up all the cheap houses in this area.
- The store owner noticed that customers would buy up his entire stock of fresh bread before noon every single day.
- Anticipating a severe shortage of raw materials, the large corporation moved quickly to buy up every available supply from the local market.

## Origin

From buy + up.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.