buries; buried; burying
1
a
: to put (a dead person or animal) in a grave
He was buried with full military honors.
Their ancestors are buried in the local cemetery.
cultures that bury their dead
b
: to have someone that you love or are related to die
He had three children by two wives and buried [=outlived] them all.
2
a
: to hide (something) in the ground
The dog buried her bone.
He buried the money in the backyard.
the search for buried treasure
b
: to hide (something) so that it cannot be seen or is difficult to see
He has learned to bury his feelings.
She buried her face in her hands.
The disclaimer was buried in the fine print.
The newspaper covered the story, but it was buried in the back of section C.
3
: to cover (someone or something) with something
A blanket of snow had buried the first few flowers of spring.
—usually used as (be) buriedThree skiers were buried alive in a massive avalanche on Tuesday.
—usually + under or beneathThe car was buried under the snow.
My shoes were buried beneath a pile of clothes.
4
: to push (something) in or into something
He buried his face/head in the pillow.
The splinter buried itself in my thumb.
Note: When you bury yourself in something, you give it all of your attention and ignore everything else.
5
: to stop being angry or upset about (something)
We've decided to bury our differences and start working together.
6
sports, informal
: to make (a shot) in a very impressive way
He buried the jumper. [=he made the jump shot]
She buried [=holed] the putt.
7
informal
: to defeat (a competitor) easily or completely
They buried the other team (by a score of) 15-2.
Cite this Entry
“Bury.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/bury. Accessed 8 Apr. 2026.
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