Meaning & use
buy in bulk
Last updated
Meaning
phraseintransitive
To buy large quantities of something, usually to get a lower price per item.
Grammar: No object; it is used as a verb phrase: 'We buy in bulk.' You can also say 'buy something in bulk' with the item before the phrase.
Patterns
- buy in bulk
- buy something in bulk
We buy in bulk to save money on groceries.
The restaurant buys its vegetables in bulk from a local farm.
If you buy in bulk, you need space to store everything.
Common combinations
- buy in bulk online
- Many people buy in bulk online to get discounts.
- buy rice in bulk
- They buy rice in bulk because it keeps for a long time.
- buy in bulk to save money
- We buy in bulk to save money on household items.
- a bulk discount
- The store offers a bulk discount if you buy ten or more.
Synonyms and how they differ
- stock up
- 'Stock up' means to buy a lot of something to keep for later, often not necessarily for a lower price; 'buy in bulk' focuses on quantity and usually price.
- wholesale
- 'Wholesale' refers to buying from a supplier at a trade price, often in large amounts; 'buy in bulk' is a more general phrase for anyone buying large quantities.
Opposites
Commonly confused: buy in bulk or buy in?
buy in bulk vs buy in
'Buy in' can mean to buy a share in a business or to agree with an idea; 'buy in bulk' is only about quantity. They look similar but have different meanings.
Practice
What does 'buy in bulk' mean?
Choose one answer.
'Buy in bulk' means purchasing in large quantities, usually to save money. The other options describe speed, secrecy, or returns, which are not part of the meaning.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “buy in bulk”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.