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
Federal officials shouldn’t expect Orange County taxpayers to foot the bill for their overzealous pursuit of injustice.
—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Feb. 2026
In cases where someone else was footing the bill, the inspector general’s office found there were even fewer detailed records, since there was no expectation for LAPD personnel to justify their travels in those instances.
—Los Angeles Times, 7 Feb. 2026
Either way, working Marylanders foot the bill.
—J.b. Jennings, Baltimore Sun, 5 Feb. 2026
To assuage consumer concerns, the White House and Congress have called on big tech companies to foot the bill for new artificial intelligence plants, with some, like Meta and Google, committing to absorb the costs.
—Mary Cunningham, CBS News, 4 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for foot the bill
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Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Feb. 2026
In cases where someone else was footing the bill, the inspector general’s office found there were even fewer detailed records, since there was no expectation for LAPD personnel to justify their travels in those instances.
—Los Angeles Times, 7 Feb. 2026
Either way, working Marylanders foot the bill.
—J.b. Jennings, Baltimore Sun, 5 Feb. 2026
To assuage consumer concerns, the White House and Congress have called on big tech companies to foot the bill for new artificial intelligence plants, with some, like Meta and Google, committing to absorb the costs.
—Mary Cunningham, CBS News, 4 Feb. 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 11 Feb. 2026.
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