The antonyms for "bought back" are "sold" or "disposed of." When a company buys back its own shares, it is essentially purchasing them from shareholders. The opposite of this process is selling the shares to other investors or disposing of them altogether. Selling the shares means the company is relinquishing ownership to someone else. Disposing of them can mean getting rid of them entirely or donating them to another entity. Buying back and selling shares both have their advantages and disadvantages, and typically depend on the current market conditions and the company's goals.