pay dearly
idiom
: to suffer a lot as a result of something one has done
She paid dearly for her mistakes.
Examples of pay dearly in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The first, as exemplified by the retreat from Kherson, the mobilization of reservists, and the construction of new barriers, is to create a dense defense and make the Ukrainians pay dearly for every effort to recover territory.
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Barry R. Posen, Foreign Affairs, 4 Jan. 2023
On Friday afternoon, a jury of nine New Yorkers sided with her, saying that the former President had defamed her, and ordering him to pay dearly: $83.3 million in damages.
—Eric Lach, The New Yorker, 27 Jan. 2024
Fox News should pay dearly for Carlson’s destructive stint at the network.
—Erik Wemple, Washington Post, 6 July 2023
Plus, some kids respond badly to disrupted routines and make their already tired parents pay dearly for it.
—Carolyn Hax, Washington Post, 14 May 2023
See all Example Sentences for pay dearly 
Barry R. Posen, Foreign Affairs, 4 Jan. 2023
On Friday afternoon, a jury of nine New Yorkers sided with her, saying that the former President had defamed her, and ordering him to pay dearly: $83.3 million in damages.
—Eric Lach, The New Yorker, 27 Jan. 2024
Fox News should pay dearly for Carlson’s destructive stint at the network.
—Erik Wemple, Washington Post, 6 July 2023
Plus, some kids respond badly to disrupted routines and make their already tired parents pay dearly for it.
—Carolyn Hax, Washington Post, 14 May 2023
See all Example Sentences for pay dearly
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pay dearly.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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“Pay dearly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pay%20dearly. Accessed 27 Jul. 2024.
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