buffer state
nounDefinition of buffer state
: a usually neutral state lying between two larger potentially rival powers
Examples of buffer state in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
China is on board since such a deal would preserve the North as a buffer state and ease U.S. sanctions on Chinese companies that do business with the North. — The Editorial Board, WSJ, "Moon Over Singapore," 28 May 2018 Syria’s future would be determined by the Arabs, Iran would accept Iraq as a neutral buffer state between it and the Sunni Arab world, and an uneasy peace would prevail. — Walter Russell Mead, WSJ, "Trump, Iran and American Power," 14 May 2018 For him, the matter goes beyond Russia’s historic paranoid need for defense-in-depth buffer states to shield its core centers. — Jerry Hendrix, National Review, "There Is No NATO without the North Atlantic," 29 Jan. 2018 But Beijing is likely to resist that outcome, preferring to keep the North as a buffer state under its control. — The Editorial Board, WSJ, "Options for Removing Kim Jong Un," 4 Sep. 2017These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'buffer state.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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