buff out

present singular third person buffs out · participle present buffing out · participle past buffed out · past buffed out

1. transitiveTo remove paint or light scratches from the surface by friction, wearing it out by polishing or blasting with sand or by employing some similar method.

   But I think that it is an act of barbarism to color sand and buff out acrylic enamels in restoration work.

   2005, Collector Car Restoration Bible: Practical Techniques For Professional Results, page 357

   3 more examples

   Other carriers buff out their fuselages instead of painting them, reasoning that cracks can hide under layers of thick exterior paint.

   1992, Diana Fairechild, Jet Smart

   Sammy, There are products on the market designed to buff out scratches in glass, not a wax but a rubbing compound much like jeweler's rouge, a fine jewelry-buffing compound.

   2010, How to Make Your Car Last Forever: Avoid Expensive Repairs, Improve Fuel Economy, Understand Your Warranty, Save Money, page 131

   “Ford's war on graffiti, which no artist really acknowledged, has done the exact opposite of what he wanted it to do,” Chirico says. “He wanted to eradicate graffiti, but if you keep buffing out walls, artists consider it a blank canvass.”

   2012, The North Bay Nugget, Filmmaker hits streets for latest project

2. figurativelytransitiveTo bring something to proper shape by removing or masking minor defects, by straightening out the residual shortcomings.

   So, the momentum alone has been built up quite well for Wimbledon and Nadal still has roughly one week to buff out the rough spots on grass.

   2012, Bleacher Report, Rafael Nadal: Early Exit at Gerry Weber Means Nothing Heading into Wimbledon

   2 more examples

   Nevertheless, if a man has the salesman's qualifications, a little scientific study of salesmanship will sandpaper him, buff out his inequalities and make him a better man.

   1914, Fra Magazine, volume Fra Magazine: A Journal of Affirmation, January 1914 to June 1914, page 178

   Like everybody I've met, he spoke exquisite English, right down to the American syntax, as if he wanted to buff out his German cultural ties. That's common too.

   1983, Marie Brenner, Intimate distance