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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in to rub
to make smooth by friction
she learned to buff semiprecious stones in order to make her own jewelry
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
PCMAG, 18 Mar. 2025
Last episode, a tribe swap mixed up the original teams as players dropped their buffs, creating new Civa, Vula and Lagi tribes.
—Emily Deletter, USA Today, 27 Mar. 2025
Kiana Murden, Vogue, 13 Mar. 2025
Using a good amount of toothpaste and a damp cloth, buff your door to perfection.
—Mary Catherine McAnnally Scott, Southern Living, 17 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for buff
Noun
Each character starts with a specific class that fulfills one of three roles: attacker (DPS), defender (tank), and support (healing and buffs).
—PCMAG, 18 Mar. 2025
Last episode, a tribe swap mixed up the original teams as players dropped their buffs, creating new Civa, Vula and Lagi tribes.
—Emily Deletter, USA Today, 27 Mar. 2025
Verb
Begin by buffing the product onto the apples of the cheeks backwards along the cheekbone.
—Kiana Murden, Vogue, 13 Mar. 2025
Using a good amount of toothpaste and a damp cloth, buff your door to perfection.
—Mary Catherine McAnnally Scott, Southern Living, 17 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for buff
Recent Examples of Synonyms for buff
Noun
-
Cascada’s rendition replaces Reilly’s yearning with decidedly more bombast, but the ecstatic feeling of connecting with a lover – whether on an elevator, dancefloor or basketball court – remains at the center.—
Kyle Denis,
Billboard,
18 Apr. 2025
-
Beverly ends up doing something he’s not done before — falling deeply for one of their patients/lovers, actress Claire (Geneviève Bujold).—
Barry Levitt,
Vulture,
18 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
But there’s actually an art to nude polish, because not all nudes are created equal.—
Iman Balagam,
Vogue,
19 Apr. 2025
-
Guthrie's press release included quotes supporting the bill from first lady Melania Trump, two teen girls who were victimized with deepfake nudes, and the mother of a boy whose death led to an investigation into a possible sextortion scheme.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
9 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Gently rub away any remaining margarine with a paper towel.—
Annabelle Canela,
Parents,
16 Apr. 2025
-
Sometimes even small things can rub a customer wrong.—
Kathy Kristof,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
14 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
When the Doctor is planning to break into memory banks to search for answers about why robots and people suddenly stopped peacefully coexisting, Belinda decides to use a polishing robot to lead the robots to her.—
Jennifer Zhan,
Vulture,
12 Apr. 2025
-
Offer to polish the slides, do research, or bring everything together.—
Sho Dewan,
Forbes.com,
27 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Nacua is seen slapping the fan in the face and walking away.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
28 Apr. 2025
-
Crocs Savannah Bananas Classic Clogs Savannah Bananas fans will love these Crocs that feature the team’s mascot and an eye-catching pattern in the team colors.—
Rylee Johnston,
Travel + Leisure,
27 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
This is a major project that requires dismantling, sanding, stripping, and prepping cabinets properly for the best-looking results.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
6 Mar. 2025
-
Corbet’s real crush is on the 1990s and 2000s products of high-end, coffee-table-book designers such as Tadao Ando or Peter Zumthor, who favoured singular, funeral monuments, with an obsessive sanding away of brutalism’s rugged surfaces.—
Matt Shaw,
Forbes,
28 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
Each pad is infused with 10% glycolic acid for gentle exfoliation, tranexamic acid to target dark spots, and niacinamide to smooth and even tone.—
Christa Joanna Lee,
Allure,
15 Apr. 2025
-
His biggest impression was how balanced and smooth the bat felt through the strike zone.—
Jaylon Thompson,
Kansas City Star,
12 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
These stems, called suckers, are a different variety than the top growth and will have different flowers, as well as drawing energy and resources away from the main plant.—
Beth Botts,
Chicago Tribune,
12 Apr. 2025
-
Whatever the color, your boy Ethan Hunt is gonna hang on that sucker for dear life because he’s got things to do and a world to save yet again.—
Nicholas Quah,
Vulture,
7 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Buff.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/buff. Accessed 30 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share