front money

noun

: money that is paid in advance for a promised service or product

Examples of front money in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web After clearing the debris and restoring water and power, the town had to get the state of Florida to front money before applying for FEMA reimbursement. Los Angeles Times, 18 Oct. 2022 Taxi services have been tapping into their reserves or getting loans to front money to drivers. Rachel Uranga, Los Angeles Times, 15 Aug. 2022 The athletic department would pay for the construction of the boards, with the up-front money coming from a bond. David Jesse, Detroit Free Press, 21 Mar. 2022 Under that system, community groups such as Día de la Mujer Latina and the Latino Cancer Institute front money for their NIH projects and get paid back later. Elizabeth Cohen, CNN, 6 Mar. 2022 West Allis Economic Development Executive Director Patrick Schloss said the limited guaranty agreement is not a loan, and the city isn't providing any up-front money. Bob Dohr, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 16 July 2021 The circus’s investors, who were supposed to front money for room and board, stopped answering their phones. Nina Strochlic, National Geographic, 27 July 2020 If there is no season, they won’t be paid with the exception of up-front money. Bob Nightengale, USA TODAY, 28 Mar. 2020 Whales typically have a budget (front money or a credit line) ranging anywhere from $1M to $20M and in a weekend could easily be up or down millions. Nick Kindelsperger, chicagotribune.com, 31 Oct. 2019

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'front money.' 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

1906, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of front money was in 1906

Dictionary Entries Near front money

Cite this Entry

“Front money.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/front%20money. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Last Updated: - Definition revised
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