as in to pay
somewhat formal
to provide money for (something)
This will defray the costs.
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Recent Examples of defray
And season ticket holders who are eager to defray high costs could start thinking about selling some tickets at a profit to recoup expenses.
—
Susan Tompor, Freep.com, 28 Aug. 2025
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
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
Susan Tompor, Freep.com, 28 Aug. 2025
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
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
-
Surely America should pay Black people for its crimes, too.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Oct. 2025
-
Groginsky told me that, no matter what, New Mexico expects to be able to pay for its child-care program through 2026.—
Elliot Haspel,
The Atlantic,
28 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The profitable football program heavily subsidizes other university athletic departments, and a decline could also impact alumni donations.—
Ricardo Torres,
jsonline.com,
29 Oct. 2025
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The Chinese government can then subsidize these products for export through cheap central or provincial government financing.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The bill would pay for the creation of new dog parks and fund the cleaning of streets where dog owners fail to clean up after their pets, the same source reported.—
Ashley J. DiMella,
FOXNews.com,
2 Nov. 2025
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Any future accommodation will be privately funded by King Charles.—
Becca Longmire,
PEOPLE,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Owing in large part to Sabine, the British government financed the construction of magnetic observatories around the empire.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Oct. 2025
-
But how the buildup will be financed remains unclear.—
Hanako Montgomery,
CNN Money,
27 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Defray.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defray. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
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