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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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
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of buff
Sal Pizarro, The Mercury News, 15 Mar. 2025
History buffs will find plenty to love in Boston, the city where modern America was born.
—Maureen O'Hare, CNN, 1 Mar. 2025
Sarah Han, Allure, 22 Feb. 2025
Two years ago a former sous chef there posted photos of the restaurant on a Kansas City history buffs Facebook page that led to nearly 300 comments.
—Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 11 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for buff
Noun
Local history buffs know that while the bank started in San Francisco, its first branch outside that city was in San Jose (and a replica of that branch is at History Park).
—Sal Pizarro, The Mercury News, 15 Mar. 2025
History buffs will find plenty to love in Boston, the city where modern America was born.
—Maureen O'Hare, CNN, 1 Mar. 2025
Verb
The stars of this formula are upcycled makgeolli lees (a byproduct of Korean rice wine), honey, kaolin clay, and rice hull powder—which together sweep away the gunk residing in your pores, gently buff away uneven texture, and with consistent use, help brighten discoloration.
—Sarah Han, Allure, 22 Feb. 2025
Two years ago a former sous chef there posted photos of the restaurant on a Kansas City history buffs Facebook page that led to nearly 300 comments.
—Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 11 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for buff
Recent Examples of Synonyms for buff
Noun
-
Cabot Creamery butter lovers may want to check their fridges following a recent recall.—
Rachel Flynn,
People.com,
10 Apr. 2025
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E-book lovers can also get the Kindle edition of The Handmaid’s Tale for free with a Kindle Unlimited membership; learn more here.—
Danielle Directo-Meston,
HollywoodReporter,
9 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
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
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The way Little portrays male nudes against architecture in classical poses brings to mind sculptures of Ancient Greek Gods and the idealised male bodies depicted in ancient Greek and Roman sculpture.—
Lee Sharrock,
Forbes,
11 Mar. 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
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After the fourth time of a positive fan interaction, Adell began to consider making the song available to the public.—
Taylor Crumpton,
Essence,
14 Apr. 2025
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Sticky traps also may help knock down some types of fly populations in stables, says Gray. Use a fan.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
14 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
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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
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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
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His biggest impression was how balanced and smooth the bat felt through the strike zone.—
Jaylon Thompson,
Kansas City Star,
12 Apr. 2025
Noun
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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 22 Apr. 2025.
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