foot the bill
idiom
: to pay for something
His parents footed the bill for his college education.
It's a business lunch, so the company is footing the bill.
Examples of foot the bill in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
When mega-housing developments sprang up on land formerly occupied by ranches and pine plantations, far from schools, utilities and roads the new residents would need, with taxpayers helping to foot the bill for those connections.
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Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 11 Jan. 2026
There is no meaningful competition, no transparency, and no leverage for the businesses footing the bill.
—Arkansas Online, 9 Jan. 2026
Nothing’s as sobering to an impractical but fun idea as having to foot the bill.
—Boston Herald Editorial Staff, Boston Herald, 9 Jan. 2026
Some of that was to acquire bad contracts that would require picks attached to them for Washington to foot the bill.
—Zach Harper, New York Times, 8 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for foot the bill
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Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 11 Jan. 2026
There is no meaningful competition, no transparency, and no leverage for the businesses footing the bill.
—Arkansas Online, 9 Jan. 2026
Nothing’s as sobering to an impractical but fun idea as having to foot the bill.
—Boston Herald Editorial Staff, Boston Herald, 9 Jan. 2026
Some of that was to acquire bad contracts that would require picks attached to them for Washington to foot the bill.
—Zach Harper, New York Times, 8 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for foot the bill
Cite this Entry
“Foot the bill.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/foot%20the%20bill. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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