as in to pay
somewhat formal
to provide money for (something)
This will defray the costs.
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Recent Examples of defray
Funds raised will help to defray funeral costs and help pay for hospital bills.
—
Kc Baker, PEOPLE, 7 Apr. 2026
Retailers such as Walmart, Best Buy and Macy's have raised prices of some items, while also looking for ways to defray costs.
—Laya Neelakandan, CNBC, 3 Apr. 2026
Some have resorted to sleeping in their cars and selling their blood to defray the cost of commuting to work, acting deputy TSA administrator Adam Stahl told CBS News.
—Philip Wang, Time, 23 Mar. 2026
It's intended to defray some of the cost.
—Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 13 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for defray
Kc Baker, PEOPLE, 7 Apr. 2026
Retailers such as Walmart, Best Buy and Macy's have raised prices of some items, while also looking for ways to defray costs.
—Laya Neelakandan, CNBC, 3 Apr. 2026
Some have resorted to sleeping in their cars and selling their blood to defray the cost of commuting to work, acting deputy TSA administrator Adam Stahl told CBS News.
—Philip Wang, Time, 23 Mar. 2026
It's intended to defray some of the cost.
—Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 13 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for defray
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defray
Verb
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In 2025, the department spent about thirty million dollars paying people not to work.—
Zach Helfand,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
-
In fact, many retailers find themselves in a similar quandary because tariff refunds will go to whoever paid the actual customs bill.—
Alina Selyukh,
NPR,
19 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
If your loans are subsidized, the government will pay the interest during the grace period, Kantrowitz said.—
Annie Nova,
CNBC,
19 Apr. 2026
-
As in many entertainment industries, a few blockbuster titles subsidize the rest of the market.—
Josh Rivera,
USA Today,
19 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Charter schools are similar to public schools in being publicly funded and tuition-free, but they are independently operated under agreements with the government.—
BrieAnna J. Frank,
USA Today,
11 Apr. 2026
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The Legislature has circumvented the ban by making K-12 vouchers available to students instead of funding private schools directly.—
Orlando Sentinel,
The Orlando Sentinel,
11 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Many were acquired between 2019 and 2022 at elevated valuations and financed with aggressive leverage, assumptions that are now being tested in a higher-rate environment.—
Lee Ying Shan,
CNBC,
20 Apr. 2026
-
One of the most significant barriers to housing production is financing.—
Heidi Williams,
Denver Post,
19 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Defray.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defray. Accessed 22 Apr. 2026.
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