buff 1 of 2

noun

ˈbəf How to pronounce buff (audio)
Definition of buffnext
1
as in lover
a person with a strong and habitual liking for something he's such a film buff that he owns over 3,000 movies

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2
as in nude
the state of having no clothes on one's body protected by a fully enclosed backyard, the couple would frequently sunbathe in the buff

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buff

2 of 2

verb

1
as in to rub
to make smooth by friction she learned to buff semiprecious stones in order to make her own jewelry

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2
as in to polish
to make smooth or glossy usually by repeatedly applying surface pressure the janitor buffed the lobby floor until it shone

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of buff
Noun
Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum, Honolulu Aviation enthusiasts and history buffs alike should visit the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum, located on Ford Island, an active military base on Oahu (visitors are shuttled from the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center). — Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 16 Sep. 2026 There’s a citizens stamp advisory committee that’s selected by the postmaster general, and it’s made up of historians and scholars and history buffs. — Sean Krofssik, Hartford Courant, 11 Sep. 2026
Verb
Video of the restoration showed the new star, at 6712 Hollywood Boulevard, being buffed, sanded and repainted. — Taijuan Moorman, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026 Classes and skills lean into different styles of play; Astromech droids are entirely support-focused, generating AP (action points) and buffing the party, while the Assault is focused on heavy damage and drawing aggro. — Hayes Madsen, Space.com, 26 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for buff
Recent Examples of Synonyms for buff
  1. lover
  2. nude
  3. rub
  4. polish
  5. sucker
  6. nudity
  7. sand
  8. smooth
Noun
  • Overton, however, claimed that both informants were lying — and that the semen found on the comforter was planted on the scene by a spurned ex-lover with connections to the police department.
    — Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 22 Oct. 2026
  • The professionalization worked, but at the expense of the site’s internal culture, Cooke argues, as generous eccentrics were displaced by neurotic lovers of rules.
    — Julian Lucas, New Yorker, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of lover
Noun
  • Recognizing the fair’s growing status, galleries came equipped with significant works, including a 1917 Amedeo Modigliani nude which the Pace Di Donna Schrader Galleries was offering for upward of $100 million.
    — Joelle Diderich, Footwear News, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Over the weekend, the group dropped a couple more clips that show one of the main characters, Lucia, nude.
    — Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of nude
Verb
  • The discovery was made Wednesday in the Hickory Ridge area of east Charlotte, and responding officers report a man drenched in sweat tried to rub them down with garlic and bite them, according to an affidavit.
    — Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 23 Oct. 2026
  • True, but there are other issues that rubbed me the wrong way (sorry).
    — Valerie Monroe, Allure, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of rub
Verb
  • The asymmetrical hemline of the sweater is right on trend and makes the whole look feel much more intentional, while the slouchy silhouette still looks polished enough for a coffee run after landing.
    — Chaise Sanders, Travel + Leisure, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Almost all of them seemed empty, like houses closed for the season, but a handful had signs of life—crewmen at the railings, polishing the brightwork, as if getting ready to leave.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of polish
Noun
  • The theory seems to be that there will always be another crop of suckers willing to pump money into the ecosystem, so the market will provide.
    — Joseph Kahn, HollywoodReporter, 8 Oct. 2026
  • These sucker shoots can quickly form a thicket of stems that are unsightly, inherently weak, and prone to storm damage if allowed to mature.
    — Luke Miller, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of sucker
Noun
  • The nudity is also more gratuitous and the counselors more obnoxious.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2026
  • What follows is the sequence that earned You Can See Everything its R for graphic nudity.
    — Alex Barasch, Vulture, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of nudity
Verb
  • To hold it in my lap and sand down the spot where my story was engraved.
    — Daniel Barnum, Longreads, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Whatever marks that remain after pulling the supports away and curing the parts are easily ground or sanded away.
    — Michael Lydick, PC Magazine, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of sand
Verb
  • But so will filters offering subtle beautification effects — such as smoothing skin tone or adding a slight eye glow.
    — Chloe Veltman, NPR, 25 Oct. 2026
  • Together, these efforts can help smooth the often difficult path from the first unexplained symptoms to an accurate diagnosis, while reducing the risk of both misdiagnosis and unnecessary delays.
    — Bruce Bebo, STAT, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of smooth

Phrases Containing buff

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buds
buff
buffalo
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Cite this Entry

“Buff.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/buff. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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