payoff

1 of 3

noun

pay·​off ˈpā-ˌȯf How to pronounce payoff (audio)
1
2
: the act or occasion of receiving money or material gain especially as compensation or as a bribe
3
: the climax of an incident or enterprise
specifically : the denouement of a narrative
4
: a decisive fact or factor resolving a situation or bringing about a definitive conclusion

payoff

2 of 3

adjective

: yielding results in the final test : decisive

pay off

3 of 3

verb

paid off; paying off; pays off

transitive verb

1
a
: to pay (a debt or a creditor) in full
b
: to give all due wages to
especially : to pay in full and discharge (an employee)
c
: bribe
2
: to inflict retribution on
3
: to allow (a thread or rope) to run off a spool or drum

intransitive verb

: to yield returns

Examples of payoff in a Sentence

Noun You'll have to work hard but there'll be a big payoff in the end. We expected more of a payoff for all our hard work. We made a lot of sacrifices with little payoff. Several city officials have been accused of receiving payoffs from the company. He lost his factory job but received a payoff and a pension. Verb I finally paid off the loan. she paid off the security guard so that she could steal whatever she liked
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Multi-agent systems provide the necessary payoff required to make the mass adoption of Generative AI worth it to users, executives, and companies. Ravi Kumar S, Forbes, 16 Oct. 2024 The payoff becomes a surreal synesthesia when it’s performed live in South Beach. Bill Desowitz, IndieWire, 11 Oct. 2024 That failure meant there was no insurance payoff, Zois said. Tim Stelloh, NBC News, 5 Oct. 2024 In a race that, according to current state polls, could go either way, the potential payoff for Harris is large. Peter Slevin, The New Yorker, 20 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for payoff 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'payoff.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1905, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adjective

1932, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1607, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of payoff was in 1607

Dictionary Entries Near payoff

Cite this Entry

“Payoff.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/payoff. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

payoff

1 of 2 noun
pay·​off
ˈpā-ˌȯf
1
2
: the last and most interesting part of an incident
the payoff of a story

pay off

2 of 2 verb
(ˈ)pā-ˈȯf
1
: to pay in full
pay off a mortgage
2
: to produce a profit
investments that pay off

Legal Definition

payoff

1 of 2 noun
pay·​off ˈpā-ˌȯf How to pronounce payoff (audio)
1
: the act or an instance of paying someone off : bribe compare kickback
2
: the act of paying a debt or creditor in full
would release the lien upon the payoff of the balance

pay off

2 of 2 transitive verb
1
: to pay (a debt or credit) in full
the loan was paid off
2
: bribe

More from Merriam-Webster on payoff

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