Phrasal verb
buy off
Irregular verb
Forms
Infinitive
buy off
Past
bought off
Past participle
bought off
Definitions
01to bribe for silence or cooperation
C1 · Advanced Informal
phr.v. to pay someone money—usually secretly or dishonestly—so they do what you want or stop bothering you.
phr.v. to bribe a person, typically a public official or witness, to ensure they refrain from taking action or to secure their cooperation.
“The gang tried to buy off the witness so he wouldn't testify in court.”
“The corporation was accused of attempting to buy off local inspectors to overlook the safety violations at the chemical plant.”
Usage
The verb is transitive and separable; the object can be placed between 'buy' and 'off'.
02to pay for release from service
C2 · Proficiency Archaic
phr.v. to pay money to get someone out of a duty, like serving in the army.
phr.v. to obtain the release of a person from a legal or military obligation through a financial payment.
“In the past, wealthy families could buy off their sons from the draft.”
“Historical records indicate that many conscripts sought to buy themselves off from the infantry by paying a standard fee to the state.”
Usage
Transitive and separable.
Teaching tip
This sense is largely historical; in modern contexts, 'buy off' almost exclusively implies bribery.
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “buy off” in context.
Verb
01. attempt to buy off the witnesses
“The defense team was accused of a desperate attempt to buy off the witnesses before the trial began.”
verb + infinitive
02. buy off and silence the whistleblowers
“The corporation sought to buy off and silence the whistleblowers by offering massive out-of-court settlements.”
verb + and + verb
03. buy off the inspectors with bribes
“The factory owner tried to buy off the inspectors with bribes to overlook the safety violations.”
verb + noun + prep
04. successfully buy off the opposition
“The ruling party managed to successfully buy off the opposition with promises of cabinet positions.”
adv + verb
Noun
05. effort to buy off the protesters
“The government's effort to buy off the protesters with tax cuts failed to end the demonstrations.”
noun + infinitive
06. plan to buy off the creditors
“They devised a secret plan to buy off the creditors before the bankruptcy filing became public.”
noun + infinitive
Teaching tip
contrast with 'bribe' (the direct verb) and 'pay off' (which can be neutral, like paying a debt); 'buy off' specifically implies removing an obstacle or threat.
Phrasal verb
Particles
off
Separability
optional
Pattern
buy (+ object) + off
Synonyms
Antonyms
Grammar
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Level
- C1 · AdvancedOxford
- Updated
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