buy off
phrasal verb.phrasal verb. to pay someone money so they will not cause trouble for you or stop you from doing something.
phrasal verb. to bribe a person or group in order to secure their cooperation, silence, or non-interference in a matter.
The company tried to buy off the protesters with a small donation.
The corrupt official was easily bought off by the developers who wanted to build on protected land.
In a desperate attempt to maintain his monopoly, the CEO sought to buy off his competitors through a series of lucrative but unethical private settlements.
usually carries a negative or critical tone regarding the ethics of the transaction.
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.
They bought off to the witness.They bought off the witness.the verb is transitive and takes a direct object without the preposition 'to'.