as in to pay
somewhat formal
to provide money for (something)
This will defray the costs.
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Recent Examples of defray
Subscription streaming, which started off as ad-free and relatively inexpensive a decade ago, has tilted toward advertising in recent years as prices continue to go up, in large part to defray the cost of sports rights and big-ticket programming.
—
Dade Hayes, Deadline, 9 Apr. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for defray
Dade Hayes, Deadline, 9 Apr. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for defray
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defray
Verb
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If all of that stuff has to be paid for by hard campaign dollars, dollars that would be disclosed within 100 days to who?—
NBC news,
NBC news,
10 May 2026
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The annual event pays homage to the 27 million Soviet citizens who died in that war.—
Guy Faulconbridge,
USA Today,
10 May 2026
Verb
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Instead, get familiar with the industry, understand how governments subsidize or support it, and spot the opportunities likely to arise from the disruption.—
Solo Ceesay,
Rolling Stone,
7 May 2026
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Admittedly, in media professions subsidized by corporate interests, adequate economic incentive may not exist to challenge business actions or government policies that are environmentally unsustainable or enable the use or exploitation of animals or nature for profit.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
7 May 2026
Verb
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County voters have overwhelmingly approved sales-tax increases to fund Metro projects.—
Oren Peleg,
New Yorker,
9 May 2026
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The famous Rocky statue at the Philadelphia Museum of Art was wearing a soccer scarf, part of a $65 million promotional campaign funded by corporate and philanthropic backers.—
Joe Battenfeld,
Boston Herald,
9 May 2026
Verb
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Gem mining also finances ethnic armed groups fighting for autonomy, contributing to Burma’s long-running conflicts.—
Sophia Compton,
FOXNews.com,
11 May 2026
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What matters is whether the imbalance is persistent, policy-driven, poorly financed or inconsistent with fundamentals.—
James Broughel,
Forbes.com,
10 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Defray.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defray. Accessed 13 May. 2026.
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