1. a payment or bribe made to someone to gain their agreement, silence, or cooperation, especially in a corrupt or unethical transaction
Usage: informal; often implies dishonesty or coercion

Examples

• The executive was accused of accepting a buyoff to overlook safety violations.
• The witness received a buyoff to change her testimony.
• Investigators discovered evidence of a buyoff scheme involving city officials.
• He refused the buyoff and reported the corruption to authorities.
• The scandal revealed a pattern of buyoffs to suppress negative reports.
• They offered him a substantial buyoff in exchange for his silence.