paywall

noun

pay·​wall ˈpā-ˌwȯl 

: a system that prevents Internet users from accessing certain web content without a paid subscription

Examples of paywall in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

There is no paywall preventing access, no login or account required. — Katrina Stack, The Conversation, 7 Oct. 2026

For Amazon Prime Video, this adds to the Thursday Night Football deal with the NFL, which also airs for free with ads, and Amazon has also made other concerts available on streaming behind the paywall. — Brian Welk, IndieWire, 6 Oct. 2026

The Emmys will be in front of the streamer’s paywall, meaning viewers can tune in without paying a fee, the academy said. — Elahe Izadi, Washington Post, 6 Oct. 2026

Amazon has put other events in front of the paywall including a number of Amazon Fire concerts and its Black Friday NFL game. — Peter White, Deadline, 6 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

pay entry 1 + firewall

First Known Use

2004, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for paywall

• aldol
• armhole
• atoll
• awol
• backhaul
• banal
• baseball
• befall
• cabal
• catchall
• cecal
• centrale

Kids Definition

paywall

noun

pay·​wall ˈpā-ˌwȯl 

: a system that prevents Internet users from accessing certain Web content without a paid subscription