as in to pay
somewhat formal
to provide money for (something)
This will defray the costs.
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Recent Examples of defray
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
Whether the city might move to defray Carollo’s suddenly massive liability tab remains unclear.
—Miami Herald, 12 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for defray
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
Whether the city might move to defray Carollo’s suddenly massive liability tab remains unclear.
—Miami Herald, 12 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for defray
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defray
Verb
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Horwitz says the funds could increase teacher pay by as much as 5%, but they will also be used to provide more specialists and smaller class sizes.—
Chierstin Roth,
CBS News,
13 Apr. 2026
-
Alfortish paid Garrison for his work as a slammer by check.—
Patrick Radden Keefe,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
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At that time, West stopped subsidizing the Minnesota Club, which then closed.—
Stephen B. Young,
Twin Cities,
12 Apr. 2026
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Medicaid subsidizes most of the medical care for children with severe special needs.—
Carol Marbin Miller,
Miami Herald,
11 Apr. 2026
Verb
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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
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Chris Fallows Chris and Monique Fallows have used profits from sales of Chris' photographs to finance conservation efforts, including their own.—
Will Croxton,
CBS News,
12 Apr. 2026
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Social Security is financed by a payroll tax paid for by employers and employees.—
Asher Notheis,
The Washington Examiner,
12 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Defray.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defray. Accessed 14 Apr. 2026.
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