as in to pay
somewhat formal
to provide money for (something)
This will defray the costs.
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Recent Examples of defray
There are ways, however, that Disney can defray that deficit.
—
Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2025
Decker installed a solar panel array to help defray the cost and impact of the electricity used by his computers and crypto mining activities, and submitted a report to SMUD explaining why his usage was elevated.
—Sacbee.com, 4 Aug. 2025
All five received stipends to help defray their trip costs, Reiner said.
—Elizabeth Marie Himchak, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 July 2025
The first customers for the gadget (introduced in mid-2018) have been parents who use it to calm their children, particularly those with special needs, and students who use it to defray stress during exams.
—IEEE Spectrum, 11 Jan. 2019
See All Example Sentences for defray
Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2025
Decker installed a solar panel array to help defray the cost and impact of the electricity used by his computers and crypto mining activities, and submitted a report to SMUD explaining why his usage was elevated.
—Sacbee.com, 4 Aug. 2025
All five received stipends to help defray their trip costs, Reiner said.
—Elizabeth Marie Himchak, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 July 2025
The first customers for the gadget (introduced in mid-2018) have been parents who use it to calm their children, particularly those with special needs, and students who use it to defray stress during exams.
—IEEE Spectrum, 11 Jan. 2019
See All Example Sentences for defray
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defray
Verb
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One suggested paying for outside services, such as privatized tutoring.—
Megan O’Matz,
ProPublica,
8 Oct. 2025
-
Most other federal workers, however, do not get paid, even if they are deemed essential and required to work.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
8 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Pharmaceutical companies have been wary of even minor concessions, insisting that the high prices paid by Americans subsidize the huge sums that go into researching and developing new drugs.—
Nicholas Florko,
The Atlantic,
2 Oct. 2025
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Their insurance would remain heavily subsidized, just at the lower level established by the original Affordable Care Act legislation.—
Margot Sanger-Katz,
New York Times,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
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With the ending of placements at the Civic and city-funded rooms in other CoLEAD shelters, safety ambassadors who were paid to quell the violence on Third Avenue turned to other shelter organizations.—
Ashley Hiruko,
ProPublica,
6 Oct. 2025
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Among the group's priorities is funding the coalition's affordable housing trust fund, which was created to provide homes for households with an annual income of less than $30,000.—
Elizabeth B. Kim,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
6 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The film is financed by the Flanders Audiovisual Fund (VAF), Kinepolis Film Distribution (KFD), Proximus, VRT, and the Belgian tax shelter (in cooperation with BNP Paribas Fortis Film Finance and Casa Kafka Pictures).—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
6 Oct. 2025
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The organization Fifty for the Future is donating $25,000 to a fundraising campaign meant to finance improvements to Little Rock Fire Department stations and the purchase of basic items for firefighters' living spaces, officials announced Monday.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
6 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Defray.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defray. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.
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