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
Nicole Goodkind, CNN, 3 July 2024
In the past couple weeks, Tarasenko has bought two properties in Florida, one being a waterfront spot in Fort Lauderdale, the other a city pad in Miami’s Mercedes-Benz Place.
—Rachel Davies, Architectural Digest, 3 July 2024
Ilana Arougheti, Kansas City Star, 2 July 2024
The total outside spending includes more than $1 million in last-minute buys from a brand-new group backed by Thiry, the former DaVita CEO and millionaire who’s pushing for a voter-approach overhaul of the state’s elections system.
—Nick Coltrain, The Denver Post, 25 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for buy 
Verb
In May 2023, Tempur Sealy — the world’s largest mattress supplier and manufacturer — agreed to buy the United States’ largest bedding retailer in a roughly $4 billion deal.
—Nicole Goodkind, CNN, 3 July 2024
In the past couple weeks, Tarasenko has bought two properties in Florida, one being a waterfront spot in Fort Lauderdale, the other a city pad in Miami’s Mercedes-Benz Place.
—Rachel Davies, Architectural Digest, 3 July 2024
Noun
One co-defendant, Flor Gonzalez-Celestine, 54, from Kansas City, Missouri, also pleaded guilty Monday after law enforcement officers monitored four drug buys in which she was involved.
—Ilana Arougheti, Kansas City Star, 2 July 2024
The total outside spending includes more than $1 million in last-minute buys from a brand-new group backed by Thiry, the former DaVita CEO and millionaire who’s pushing for a voter-approach overhaul of the state’s elections system.
—Nick Coltrain, The Denver Post, 25 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for buy
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 7 Jul. 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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