# bury

/ˈbɛɹi/ (US) · /bˈɛɹi/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/bury
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. to put in the ground

verb · CEFR B1

to put a dead body or an object into the ground and cover it with dirt.

For teachers: to inter a corpse in a grave or to place an object in the earth and cover it with soil.

- The dog tried to bury its bone in the garden behind the house.
- The family gathered at the cemetery to bury their grandfather next to his late wife.

### 2. to hide or cover

verb · CEFR B2

to hide something by covering it with a lot of other things.

For teachers: to conceal something by covering it with a mass of other material, either physically or metaphorically.

- She buried her face in her hands because she was so embarrassed.
- The small village was completely buried under several feet of snow after the blizzard passed through the valley.

### 3. to ignore or suppress

verb · CEFR B2

to try to forget a feeling or a memory instead of dealing with it.

For teachers: to suppress a thought, memory, or emotion, often to avoid psychological distress.

- He tried to bury his anger and act like nothing was wrong.
- She chose to bury the traumatic memories of the accident deep in her mind rather than discuss them in therapy.

### 4. to score a goal

verb · CEFR B2 · Informal

to score a goal or a point with a very strong, accurate shot.

For teachers: to score a goal or point decisively, typically by striking the ball or puck with significant force and accuracy.

- The striker managed to bury the ball in the back of the net.
- With only seconds remaining on the clock, the forward buried a powerful shot into the top corner to win the game.

### 5. to defeat or ruin

verb · CEFR C1 · Slang · Informal

to defeat someone completely or to ruin their reputation.

For teachers: to decisively defeat an opponent or to destroy a person's reputation or career through public criticism.

- The critic's harsh review really buried the actor's new movie.
- The veteran wrestler was accused of trying to bury the younger talent by refusing to lose any matches to them.

## Examples

- The dog likes to bury its bones in the garden.
- She had to bury her phone at the bottom of her backpack so she wouldn't check it during the exam.
- Archaeologists believe the ancient civilization would bury their most precious artifacts beneath the temple floors to protect them from invaders during times of war.

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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.