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

Still, paying down interest will be an enormous strain on the studio. — Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 24 Sep. 2026

Some simple ways to do this include improving your credit utilization ratio, either by paying down existing debt or increasing available credit, and reviewing your credit report for any mistakes. — Becca Stanek, TheWeek, 23 Sep. 2026

His phone and laptop were seized by FBI agents last year, according to Crain’s, and a Bloomberg report from August said that his holding company was talking to investors about an influx of capital to pay down those very same loans. — Justin Birnbaum, Sportico.com, 23 Sep. 2026

When government receives more revenue, politicians’ tendency is to spend it or refund it, not to pay down debt. — Editorial Board, Washington Post, 23 Sep. 2026

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