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
Allison Morrow, CNN, 22 Nov. 2024
China’s love of European cinema peaked in 2017, when close to 35 million Chinese moviegoers bought a ticket for a European production, some 11.3 million for Luc Besson’s sci-fi spectacle Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets and 6.3 million for Paddington 2.
—Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Nov. 2024
Kate Hardcastle, Forbes, 21 Nov. 2024
Wall Street is mostly bullish on Netflix, with 32 of 48 analysts rating it a strong buy or buy, according to LSEG data.
—Sean Conlon, CNBC, 21 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for buy 
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Verb
To buy a company, a PE firm typically relies on debt financing, aka borrowing the money from a bank.
—Allison Morrow, CNN, 22 Nov. 2024
China’s love of European cinema peaked in 2017, when close to 35 million Chinese moviegoers bought a ticket for a European production, some 11.3 million for Luc Besson’s sci-fi spectacle Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets and 6.3 million for Paddington 2.
—Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Nov. 2024
Noun
As Bitcoin Suddenly Surges Toward $100,000 Price Now Hackers Are Using Snail Mail In Cyber Attacks—Here’s How
Interestingly, recent data shows that men are particularly drawn to the Middle of Lidl, spending 20% more than women on these impulse buys.
—Kate Hardcastle, Forbes, 21 Nov. 2024
Wall Street is mostly bullish on Netflix, with 32 of 48 analysts rating it a strong buy or buy, according to LSEG data.
—Sean Conlon, CNBC, 21 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for buy
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Dictionary Entries Near buy
Cite this Entry
“Buy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/buy. Accessed 30 Nov. 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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