bought
ˈbȯt 
; buying
; buying
1
: to acquire possession, ownership, or rights to the use or services of by payment especially of money : purchase
buy a car
buying stock in the company
bought us dinner
2
a
: to obtain in exchange for something often at a sacrifice
They bought peace with their freedom.
b
Christianity
: redeem sense 6
bought us with his blood
4
: to be the purchasing equivalent of
The dollar buys less today than it used to.
: to make a purchase
Now is a good time to buy.
1
: something of value at a favorable price
2
: an act of acquiring possession, ownership, or rights to the use or services of something by payment especially of money : an act of buying (see buy entry 1 sense 1) : purchase
an undercover drug buy
Synonyms
Examples of buy in a Sentence
Verb
I bought this hat for $10.
He bought the quilt from a local artist.
Stock prices are low, so now is a good time to buy.
He said it was a mistake, but I don't buy it.
Noun
four cartons of ice cream for four dollars is a real buy
Recent Examples on the Web
Jeanne Whalen, Washington Post, 9 Apr. 2024
Last summer, Portnoy bought Barstool back from casino and online gambling operator Penn Entertainment for $1.
—Todd Spangler, Variety, 9 Apr. 2024
Multiverse cites Crunchbase data showing in the last two months that for every U.S. company acquired by a U.K. one, 3.6 U.K. companies were bought by a U.S. group.
—Byryan Hogg, Fortune Europe, 9 Apr. 2024
Why didn’t the majority of investors buy what Peltz has been selling about Disney’s struggles?
—Ryan Faughnder, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2024
Forbes reported this week only two House representatives bought shares in Digital World Acquisition Corp. prior to the merger according to the latest available filings.
—Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 9 Apr. 2024
Jack in the Box Jack in the Box says customers can buy one, get one Jumbo Jack on Monday using the app.
—Rachel Treisman, NPR, 8 Apr. 2024
Of buying chairs, shoes, and devices that help to encourage it?
—Beth Linker, TIME, 8 Apr. 2024
The growth of EVs could hinge on the ability of the ecosystem to offer a bundled solution in which buying the car automatically comes with easy access to charging solutions and even broader whole-home electrification systems that leverage the vehicle's full value as an energy producer.
—Tracy Price, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024
Kimberly Cataudella Tutuska, Miami Herald, 3 Apr. 2024
Unlock the Burrito Vault, an interactive game that asks players to guess two order combinations, for a chance to redeem a buy one, get one free entree offer.
—Brianna Taylor, Sacramento Bee, 3 Apr. 2024
The results are based on the trading platform’s customer notional net percentage buy/sell behavior for stocks that comprise the S&P 500 sectors.
—Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 2 Apr. 2024
By some estimates, California renters could save $112,000 or more over five years given the cost difference to rent versus buy.
—David Howard, Orange County Register, 1 Apr. 2024
Even after the steep climb in GE’s share price, 14 of the 20 analysts who follow the company rate the stock a buy, with just one recommending investors sell, according to Bloomberg.
—Jeremy Bogaisky, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
To be clear, this doesn’t mean PDI is a great buy at all times.
—Michael Foster, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
As part of a $30 million ad buy in March, the campaign launched multiple ads targeting Black voters in the battleground states.
—Aaron Navarro, CBS News, 28 Mar. 2024
The Biden campaign rolled out a $30 million ad buy earlier this month targeting battleground states, as well as Black and Latino voters.
—Max Greenwood, Miami Herald, 27 Mar. 2024
Verb
In the past year and a half, Japan has made significant reforms to its national security and defense strategies and has committed to buying U.S. Tomahawk missiles and building its own counterstrike capability.
—Jeanne Whalen, Washington Post, 9 Apr. 2024
Last summer, Portnoy bought Barstool back from casino and online gambling operator Penn Entertainment for $1.
—Todd Spangler, Variety, 9 Apr. 2024
Multiverse cites Crunchbase data showing in the last two months that for every U.S. company acquired by a U.K. one, 3.6 U.K. companies were bought by a U.S. group.
—Byryan Hogg, Fortune Europe, 9 Apr. 2024
Why didn’t the majority of investors buy what Peltz has been selling about Disney’s struggles?
—Ryan Faughnder, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2024
Forbes reported this week only two House representatives bought shares in Digital World Acquisition Corp. prior to the merger according to the latest available filings.
—Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 9 Apr. 2024
Jack in the Box Jack in the Box says customers can buy one, get one Jumbo Jack on Monday using the app.
—Rachel Treisman, NPR, 8 Apr. 2024
Of buying chairs, shoes, and devices that help to encourage it?
—Beth Linker, TIME, 8 Apr. 2024
The growth of EVs could hinge on the ability of the ecosystem to offer a bundled solution in which buying the car automatically comes with easy access to charging solutions and even broader whole-home electrification systems that leverage the vehicle's full value as an energy producer.
—Tracy Price, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024
Noun
These items are popular buys at our area’s warehouse clubs — a trio of Costco’s Kirkland Signature, Sam’s Club Member’s Mark and BJ’s Wellsley Farms products.
—Kimberly Cataudella Tutuska, Miami Herald, 3 Apr. 2024
Unlock the Burrito Vault, an interactive game that asks players to guess two order combinations, for a chance to redeem a buy one, get one free entree offer.
—Brianna Taylor, Sacramento Bee, 3 Apr. 2024
The results are based on the trading platform’s customer notional net percentage buy/sell behavior for stocks that comprise the S&P 500 sectors.
—Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 2 Apr. 2024
By some estimates, California renters could save $112,000 or more over five years given the cost difference to rent versus buy.
—David Howard, Orange County Register, 1 Apr. 2024
Even after the steep climb in GE’s share price, 14 of the 20 analysts who follow the company rate the stock a buy, with just one recommending investors sell, according to Bloomberg.
—Jeremy Bogaisky, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
To be clear, this doesn’t mean PDI is a great buy at all times.
—Michael Foster, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
As part of a $30 million ad buy in March, the campaign launched multiple ads targeting Black voters in the battleground states.
—Aaron Navarro, CBS News, 28 Mar. 2024
The Biden campaign rolled out a $30 million ad buy earlier this month targeting battleground states, as well as Black and Latino voters.
—Max Greenwood, Miami Herald, 27 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'buy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Buy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/buy. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
buy
1 of 2 verb
bought
ˈbȯt
; buying
; buying
1
: to get by paying money for : purchase
2
: to gain control over by bribery
buy votes
3
: believe sense 3
I don't buy that nonsense
buy
2 of 2 nounLove words? Need even more definitions?
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