buffer zone

noun

: a neutral area separating conflicting forces
broadly : an area designed to separate

Examples of buffer zone in a Sentence

There must be a 500-foot buffer zone between the river and the new buildings.
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.
The Associated Press reported on Sunday that the document submitted by mediators to Hamas outlined a 60-day ceasefire proposal, during which Israel would pull back to a buffer zone on the Gaza border with Israel and Egypt. Ellie Cook, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 July 2025 At a few hundred other intersections, the buffer zone for parking is 15 feet instead of 20 feet because there are curb bulb-outs that slow traffic by narrowing the intersection for safety. David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 June 2025 Putin announced May 22 that Russian troops aim to create a buffer zone that might help prevent Ukrainian cross-border attacks. Hanna Arhirova, Los Angeles Times, 4 June 2025 At the end of the day, Moscow’s priority is a neutral Ukraine that serves as a buffer zone between Russia and NATO, says Mr. Suslov. Fred Weir, Christian Science Monitor, 30 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for buffer zone

Word History

First Known Use

1908, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of buffer zone was in 1908

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Buffer zone.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/buffer%20zone. Accessed 21 Jul. 2025.

Legal Definition

buffer zone

noun
: an area designed to separate: as
a
: an area with certain boundaries beyond which protestors may not pass
b
: an area separating land used for different purposes
a buffer zone between the development and the park
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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