1
b
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
paid off; paying off; pays off
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
: to yield returns
Synonyms
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
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Recent Examples on the Web
Michelle Singletary, Washington Post, 15 Nov. 2023
But while Jones and Foxx have a predictably winning odd-couple rapport (their bonding over a classic R&B song sets up a beaut of a payoff), the movie happily has something more interesting in mind than an obvious comic clash of cultures and generations.
—Justin Chang, Los Angeles Times, 10 Oct. 2023
There’s unexpected and indirect payoff between the Rescuer and Persecutor, too.
—Neha Sangwan, Fortune Well, 26 Sep. 2023
Psyche is not scheduled to enter orbit about its target asteroid until August 2029, which feels like a painfully long time to wait for a payoff.
—Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 30 Oct. 2023
Those are the shortcuts this speedy focaccia recipe allows, but the payoff is a chewy, airy round with a crispy crust and a nice (but not overpowering) olive oil flavor.
—Matt Brooks, Washington Post, 26 Oct. 2023
Before the Great Depression, much shorter-term loans were the standard—usually five- or six-year payoff periods and balloon payments (which required you to pay off the full balance at the end of the term).
—Aly J. Yale, wsj.com, 26 Oct. 2023
Having tried and failed to resuscitate the 2015 nuclear deal with its elaborate web of restrictions and oversight of Iran’s nuclear program, Washington embraced a Plan B of payoffs and informal understandings.
—Suzanne Maloney, Foreign Affairs, 10 Oct. 2023
The Folklore sequence is equally powerful — these are songs originally made and heard in the isolation of quarantine, so the stage pageantry has a big emotional payoff.
—Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 13 Oct. 2023
Chris Megerian, Fortune, 16 Nov. 2023
My mortgage payoff story: My husband and I paid off the house in the spring of 2023 thanks to making extra payments and taking advantage of a mortgage recast.
—Michelle Singletary, Washington Post, 15 Nov. 2023
The strategy has already paid off in West Virginia.
—Shane Goldmacher, New York Times, 10 Nov. 2023
In this week’s memo, the DNC points out their focus on Virginia did indeed pay off.
—Gary Grumbach, NBC News, 9 Nov. 2023
California Renting your home as a film location may pay off big time.
—Jonah Valdez, Los Angeles Times, 8 Nov. 2023
Its efficiency efforts paid off, as Pepsi hiked its earnings guidance in 2014 and 2015.
—Kristin Broughton, WSJ, 6 Nov. 2023
This past quarter, Narasimhan said, was a testament that the company’s efforts to rebuild that relationship were paying off.
—Paolo Confino, Fortune, 3 Nov. 2023
But the competition is stiff and there is no sure-fire metric to guarantee that following the path pays off.
—Tom Roland, Billboard, 1 Nov. 2023
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Noun
My mortgage payoff story: My husband and I paid off the house in the spring of 2023 thanks to making extra payments and taking advantage of a mortgage recast.
—Michelle Singletary, Washington Post, 15 Nov. 2023
But while Jones and Foxx have a predictably winning odd-couple rapport (their bonding over a classic R&B song sets up a beaut of a payoff), the movie happily has something more interesting in mind than an obvious comic clash of cultures and generations.
—Justin Chang, Los Angeles Times, 10 Oct. 2023
There’s unexpected and indirect payoff between the Rescuer and Persecutor, too.
—Neha Sangwan, Fortune Well, 26 Sep. 2023
Psyche is not scheduled to enter orbit about its target asteroid until August 2029, which feels like a painfully long time to wait for a payoff.
—Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 30 Oct. 2023
Those are the shortcuts this speedy focaccia recipe allows, but the payoff is a chewy, airy round with a crispy crust and a nice (but not overpowering) olive oil flavor.
—Matt Brooks, Washington Post, 26 Oct. 2023
Before the Great Depression, much shorter-term loans were the standard—usually five- or six-year payoff periods and balloon payments (which required you to pay off the full balance at the end of the term).
—Aly J. Yale, wsj.com, 26 Oct. 2023
Having tried and failed to resuscitate the 2015 nuclear deal with its elaborate web of restrictions and oversight of Iran’s nuclear program, Washington embraced a Plan B of payoffs and informal understandings.
—Suzanne Maloney, Foreign Affairs, 10 Oct. 2023
The Folklore sequence is equally powerful — these are songs originally made and heard in the isolation of quarantine, so the stage pageantry has a big emotional payoff.
—Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 13 Oct. 2023
Verb
The agreements helped fulfill the White House’s goal for the meeting — prove to voters that Biden’s dedication to personal diplomacy is paying off.
—Chris Megerian, Fortune, 16 Nov. 2023
My mortgage payoff story: My husband and I paid off the house in the spring of 2023 thanks to making extra payments and taking advantage of a mortgage recast.
—Michelle Singletary, Washington Post, 15 Nov. 2023
The strategy has already paid off in West Virginia.
—Shane Goldmacher, New York Times, 10 Nov. 2023
In this week’s memo, the DNC points out their focus on Virginia did indeed pay off.
—Gary Grumbach, NBC News, 9 Nov. 2023
California Renting your home as a film location may pay off big time.
—Jonah Valdez, Los Angeles Times, 8 Nov. 2023
Its efficiency efforts paid off, as Pepsi hiked its earnings guidance in 2014 and 2015.
—Kristin Broughton, WSJ, 6 Nov. 2023
This past quarter, Narasimhan said, was a testament that the company’s efforts to rebuild that relationship were paying off.
—Paolo Confino, Fortune, 3 Nov. 2023
But the competition is stiff and there is no sure-fire metric to guarantee that following the path pays off.
—Tom Roland, Billboard, 1 Nov. 2023
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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
Dictionary Entries Near payoff
Cite this Entry
“Payoff.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/payoff. Accessed 29 Nov. 2023.
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Kids Definition
payoff
1 of 2 noun
pay·off
ˈpā-ˌȯf
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
pay off
2 of 2 transitive verb1
: to pay (a debt or credit) in full
the loan was paid off
2
: bribe
More from Merriam-Webster on payoff
Nglish: Translation of payoff for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of payoff for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about payoff
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