buddy up

phrasal verb

buddied up; buddying up; buddies up
US, informal
: to become friendly especially in order to get help or some advantage
often + with
New students are encouraged to buddy up with older students.
often + to
businessmen buddying up to politicians in order to get their support

Examples of buddy up in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
To reach maturity in the wild, male gorillas typically go out on their own or buddy up with another male gorilla, and the zoo had not been able to provide that for them, Adkesson said. Cam'ron Hardy, Chicago Tribune, 15 July 2025 Our allies as not allies, and suddenly wanting to buddy up with Putin in Russia or with Xi and China, think about it. CBS News, 30 Mar. 2025 The policy change was the latest strategic shift Meta has taken to buddy up with Trump and Republicans since Election Day. Jonathan Vanian, CNBC, 11 Jan. 2025 In Libra, chatty Mercury buddies up to lucky Jupiter, but shuns healing Chiron. Jennifer Culp, Them, 4 Oct. 2024 Luke Bryan may believe that Beyoncé should just buddy up to the country establishment, but his statement alludes to the nature of awards shows. Lester Fabian Brathwaite, EW.com, 3 Oct. 2024 When the Sun buddies up to Jupiter in your sign, you’re offered a valuable opportunity for personal expansion. Jennifer Culp, Them, 2 Aug. 2024 Apple and OpenAI will buddy up Apple has reportedly inked a deal with OpenAI that would allow iPhone users access to its AI chatbot, ChatGPT, according to Bloomberg. Laura Bratton, Quartz, 6 June 2024 Cameron needs to find a way to get in good with anyone willing to buddy up with him and build from there. Dalton Ross, EW.com, 22 Sep. 2023

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Cite this Entry

“Buddy up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/buddy%20up. Accessed 24 Jul. 2025.

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