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Examples of buffer state in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Mongolia played the role of a buffer state between the Soviet Union and China for much of the 20th century, and counted on the rivalry between the two superpowers to gain and maintain its independent status.
—Charles Krusekopf, The Conversation, 2 Sep. 2024
China, meanwhile, has traditionally preferred to have a stable, if irksome, North Korean buffer state along its border rather than to push for denuclearization at the risk of regime collapse.
—Robert Jervis, Foreign Affairs, 5 Apr. 2018
Yet given the troubled history of warfare and occupation within buffer states such as Afghanistan and Poland, this idea becomes a nonstarter.
—Brandon Valeriano, Foreign Affairs, 30 Apr. 2015
Strategists like Hadrian and Augustus put most of their efforts into lining up buffer states.
—Christopher Tayler, Harper's Magazine, 18 Dec. 2023
Like Belarus, Ukraine does not only hold geopolitical significance as a buffer state between East and West but is regarded as a major cultural and historical ally of Russia – more so than other post-Soviet nations whose heritage and geography are further removed from the power center of Moscow.
—Katharina Buchholz, Forbes, 19 Jan. 2022
The country has long existed as a buffer state — spending 700 years as part of Sweden before being retched away by the Russian Empire in 1809.
—Washington Post, 14 Mar. 2022
Lukashenko has led the former Soviet republic that Moscow sees as a buffer state to the West since 1994 and strengthened ties with Moscow during mass protests that erupted in 2020 as the West imposed sanctions.
—NBC News, 18 Jan. 2022
By these means, Ukraine would become a neutral buffer state.
—Noah Millman, The Week, 9 Jan. 2022
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'buffer state.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1883, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near buffer state
Cite this Entry
“Buffer state.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/buffer%20state. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.
Kids Definition
buffer state
noun
: a small neutral state lying between two larger rival powers
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