pay down

verb

paid down; paying down; pays down

transitive verb

: to reduce (a debt) by repaying in part

Examples of pay down in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

While the most popular reason for side-hustling was discretionary spending, a majority of Americans take on extra jobs to support their households, pay down debt or shore up savings amid higher prices and inflation, Bank Rate found. —Ramishah Maruf, CNN Money, 6 Sep. 2025

Shakir suggested that money from such an equity stake be used to ease the burden on US taxpayers in specific ways, like paying down student debt or providing higher wages. —Morgan Chalfant, semafor.com, 5 Sep. 2025

Indeed, calculations by Fortune showed tariff revenue (around $30 billion a month) won’t cover a fraction of the outgoing monthly payments to service the debt, let alone pay down the top-line figure. —Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 2 Sep. 2025

As Bowyer continued to increase Mizuhara’s credit line, the interpreter’s debt quickly ballooned into the millions, paid down via installments in the form of six-figure wires bearing Ohtani’s name. —David Amsden, Rolling Stone, 29 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1975, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for pay down

• adown
• blowdown
• breakdown
• countdown
• crackdown
• crosstown
• downtown
• drawdown
• dropdown
• facedown
• godown
• hometown