1
as in rubbing
to make smooth by friction
she learned to buff semiprecious stones in order to make her own jewelry
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in polishing
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 buffing
For appliances and fixtures such as faucets, start by sprinkling baking soda onto a damp rag, and buffing the stainless steel gently to clean and brighten.
—
Alexandra Kelly, Martha Stewart, 11 May 2026
Keep one slightly damp microfiber cloth for cleaning and one dry microfiber cloth for buffing.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Sacbee.com, 27 Apr. 2026
Ngo coats the nail with a matte primer, which creates a smooth base, before buffing eye shadow across the surface with a nail sponge.
—Annie Blay-Tettey, Allure, 27 Apr. 2026
These provide enough force for buffing out scratches without further damaging the surface.
—Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 7 Mar. 2026
Finish by cleaning the area with the vinegar and water mixture and buffing it to a shine.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 4 Mar. 2026
The singer, born Cassandra Monique Batie, also colored her waterline with black, buffing gray and brown tones underneath.
—Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 16 Jan. 2026
To soften the color, sheer out the formula by buffing excess product onto the back your hand before applying to the face.
—Erin Lassner, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Alexandra Kelly, Martha Stewart, 11 May 2026
Keep one slightly damp microfiber cloth for cleaning and one dry microfiber cloth for buffing.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Sacbee.com, 27 Apr. 2026
Ngo coats the nail with a matte primer, which creates a smooth base, before buffing eye shadow across the surface with a nail sponge.
—Annie Blay-Tettey, Allure, 27 Apr. 2026
These provide enough force for buffing out scratches without further damaging the surface.
—Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 7 Mar. 2026
Finish by cleaning the area with the vinegar and water mixture and buffing it to a shine.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 4 Mar. 2026
The singer, born Cassandra Monique Batie, also colored her waterline with black, buffing gray and brown tones underneath.
—Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 16 Jan. 2026
To soften the color, sheer out the formula by buffing excess product onto the back your hand before applying to the face.
—Erin Lassner, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for buffing
Verb
-
This is also linked to a change known as Darier’s sign, which is a common finding in mastocytosis, where rubbing a skin lesion causes redness or swelling.—
Suchandrima Bhowmik,
Health,
15 May 2026
-
If one berry develops mold, spores can spread quickly, and moisture, warmth, and friction from the berries rubbing together can accelerate the spread.—
Katie Rosenhouse,
Southern Living,
12 May 2026
Verb
-
While rivals like the Tacoma and Colorado constantly reinvent themselves, Nissan tends to take the long road by refining, tweaking, and polishing instead of blowing everything up every few years.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
3 May 2026
-
Various owners have taken the reins over the years, but all were committed to preserving the bar’s old-school character rather than polishing, upgrading, or updating it away.—
Skye Sherman,
Southern Living,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Embrace the act of adding to a work table's patina, let your copper sit on display, and don't worry about sanding and re-staining old wood.—
Tessa Cooper,
The Spruce,
27 Apr. 2026
-
The technique still needs sanding, and zero interceptions in 48 career games is concerning, but McCutchin’s combine testing gave his draft case a nice shot of nitrous.—
Eddie Brown,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Pour the filling into the unbaked pie crust, smoothing the top.—
Alana Al-Hatlani,
Southern Living,
10 May 2026
-
It’s designed with side-smoothing panels, separated cups, and wide, adjustable straps.—
Jamie Allison Sanders,
PEOPLE,
10 May 2026
Verb
-
Conventionally, cement is made by grinding up limestone and heating up to around 3,000 degrees.—
Alex Knapp,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2026
-
The stock peaked near $570, rolled over hard, and spent months grinding through a deep correction that took it all the way back to the low $300s.—
Josh Brown,Sean Russo,
CNBC,
18 May 2026
Verb
-
For example, individual filers can receive up to $994, couples filing jointly can receive $1,491, and those providing essential care to SSI recipients can receive up to $498.—
Adisa Hargett-Robinson,
The Washington Examiner,
17 May 2026
-
The Alabama Supreme Court dismissed their appeal, calling the conduct egregious, and barred the lawyer from filing in that court again without co-counsel sign-off.—
Alexandra Smyth,
Fortune,
16 May 2026
Verb
-
The Sun forms a cazimi with Mercury in Taurus in your 10th House of Career, sharpening your sense of direction, timing, and public voice.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
14 May 2026
-
Comparing data with these missions will allow the mission scientists to hone their calibration of the imaging instruments, sharpening the interpretation of their data once the mission arrives at the asteroid Psyche.—
Meghan Bartels,
Scientific American,
14 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Buffing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/buffing. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
