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

If your rate is above 6%, using your extra money to aggressively pay down your debt is compelling. — Jeanne Sahadi, CNN Money, 3 Oct. 2026

CoreCivic is using the profits from the sales to pay down its debts, according to company filings. — Julia Ingram, CBS News, 29 Sep. 2026

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

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