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bought off

VERB

bribe someone in order to receive a favor

Synonyms

STRONGEST

lubricate

WEAK

bribe do business get to grease palm influence make a deal pay off sweeten the pot tamper

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Some insiders were apparently bought off during the planning of the incursion.

From Slate • Jan. 5, 2026

Ian J. Stones was convicted of being bought off to provide intelligence to “external forces,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said when asked about the case at a daily briefing.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 26, 2024

Many of them are commercially made in China and bought off the shelf, and new supplies are vital because of the large numbers lost in the fighting.

From BBC • Oct. 21, 2023

They do not want either group to be bought off, or materially rewarded for the opinions they deliver.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 28, 2023

Also because it has this big old madman desk in it that D.B. bought off some lady alcoholic in Philadelphia, and this big, gigantic bed that's about ten miles wide and ten miles long.

From "The Catcher in the Rye" by J. D. Salinger