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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
While some aldermen and state legislators have pointed to the terminals as a relatively painless revenue source, opponents have argued that the change would cannibalize business at the city casino, where a portion of the revenues is dedicated to paying down police and fire pension costs. A.d. Quig, Chicago Tribune, 30 June 2025 Simpson cosponsored a bill to prevent the sale of public lands to pay down federal debt and joined a bipartisan Public Lands Caucus that helped kill the House bill. Nicole Blanchard, Idaho Statesman, 26 June 2025 The budget includes moves ranging from paying down state debt to giving most employees pay raises. Jim Turner, Miami Herald, 17 June 2025 The moment could also be ripe for paying down high-cost credit card debt and padding your emergency savings, said McBride. Anne Marie D. Lee, CBS News, 17 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for pay down

Word History

First Known Use

1975, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pay down was in 1975

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Cite this Entry

“Pay down.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pay%20down. Accessed 6 Jul. 2025.

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