Buyoff

To buy off means to bribe or pay someone to secure their silence, cooperation, or to influence their decision-making, often involving illicit or unethical practices. It implies using money or favors to corrupt or neutralize an individual or group, frequently to avoid scrutiny, criticism, or to gain an unfair advantage. This action typically undermines trust, fairness, and can have legal repercussions. The term highlights a transactional exchange where integrity is compromised for personal or organizational gain. The implications usually go against the principles of ethical conduct, and in some cases, is a violation of the law. The purpose is often to manipulate situations in ways that go unnoticed by legitimate entities.

Buyoff meaning with examples

• The corporation attempted to buy off the government officials by offering lavish 'consulting' fees, hoping to influence the environmental regulations. However, this action raised suspicions. This plan was used to ease operations that would've required a lot of compliance and extra work. They didn't want to spend the effort so they bribed the right people.
• Facing accusations of financial wrongdoing, the company tried to buy off the whistleblowers with large sums of money and non-disclosure agreements. This silenced the people who were willing to come forward to share vital information. They tried very hard to hide the evidence. However, the ploy was uncovered by authorities, leading to a full investigation.
• In the aftermath of the scandal, several board members tried to buy off the shareholders by giving them higher dividends, hoping to mitigate the negative impact on their reputations. However, this did not appease those wanting them gone. The shareholders did not see this as the solution.
• The organized crime syndicate attempted to buy off the local police department by paying off high-ranking officers to overlook their activities, allowing them to operate without interference. The officials took the money. That didn't mean they would leave them alone completely. It did ease operations.
• The politician was accused of attempting to buy off the opposition by offering them lucrative positions in his administration if they agreed to vote in favor of his proposed bill, resulting in accusations of corruption. The politician was really trying to get his bill passed, but some people wanted the other side.