1
as in to compensate
to give (someone) the sum of money owed for goods or services received
we need to pay the cashier and then we can leave
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
3
as in to spend
to hand over or use up in payment
rock fans were willing to pay enormous sums to get into the concert
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
5
as in to hire
to provide with a paying job
pay someone to mow the lawn for the summer
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in salary
the money paid regularly to a person for labor or services
it's difficult to support two children on her pay
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in payment
something (as money) that is given or received in return for goods or services
we should demand pay for all the overtime we're putting in
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of pay
Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 14 Apr. 2025
Federal investigators ultimately found that its officers use excessive force, discriminate against Black people, conduct stops and searches without probable cause, and arrest people purely for not having the money to pay fines.
—Topher Sanders, ProPublica, 14 Apr. 2025
Simon Hughes, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2025
Other unions got the same pay increases under deals that added another $125 million a year to the county’s budget, according to county memos.
—Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald, 11 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pay
Verb
As a result, vendors including Microsoft, Nintendo, and Sony can expect to pay a cumulative 145% tariff on any consoles shipped from China to the US.
—Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 14 Apr. 2025
Federal investigators ultimately found that its officers use excessive force, discriminate against Black people, conduct stops and searches without probable cause, and arrest people purely for not having the money to pay fines.
—Topher Sanders, ProPublica, 14 Apr. 2025
Noun
If it was known that Salah was earning considerably more than some of his team-mates, there was a danger that Liverpool’s pay structure would spiral out of control.
—Simon Hughes, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2025
Other unions got the same pay increases under deals that added another $125 million a year to the county’s budget, according to county memos.
—Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald, 11 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pay
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pay
Verb
-
If your core isn’t doing its job, other muscles have to try and compensate.—
Danielle Zickl,
SELF,
24 Apr. 2025
-
But Stafford, who’s entering the 17th season of a career which will land him in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, wanted to be compensated at the market rate.—
Jay Paris,
Forbes.com,
23 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
The Hall of Fame voting panel will meet May 20 in Charlotte and determine the Class of 2026.—
Shane Connuck,
Charlotte Observer,
22 Apr. 2025
-
In February 2024, Francis met with the trustees of the University of Notre Dame, a Catholic institution in Indiana.—
Zachary Schermele,
USA Today,
22 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Consumers have been optimizing their spending for years, Thomas said, by making smart decisions to have the ability to still spend, particularly on discretionary items.—
Betty Lin-Fisher,
USA Today,
20 Apr. 2025
-
Ripp is originally a linebacker but spent parts of last year playing edge.—
Shaun Goodwin,
Idaho Statesman,
20 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
That yielded a partial match, and investigators completed a family tree and identified their suspect, police said.—
Sara Schilling,
Miami Herald,
17 Apr. 2025
-
There is a problem in our understanding of universal expansion; different methods for measuring the rate of expansion yield different results.—
Arick Wierson,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Since hiring French manager Wilfried Nancy in 2023, the Crew have been consistently pleasing to the eye.—
Felipe Cardenas,
New York Times,
20 Apr. 2025
-
When evaluating an investment, Elliott also hires specialty and general management consultants, expert cost analysts and industry specialists.—
Kenneth Squire,
CNBC,
19 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
The salary cap is projected to be $154.6 million next season with the luxury tax projected as $187.9 million, the first apron projected at $195.9 million and the second apron projected at $207.8 million.—
Jason Anderson,
Sacbee.com,
21 Apr. 2025
-
With a salary cap rising to $95.5 million for 2025-26, the Ducks enter the offseason with what CapWages estimates will be more than $39 million of cap space available for usage.—
Eric Stephens,
New York Times,
20 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Without any changes in interest rates or refinancing, that could ultimately amount to the city paying more than $800 million; those make up the bulk of the agreement, with contingent payments also possible.—
Elliott Wenzler,
Denver Post,
19 Apr. 2025
-
These texts have been seen to include links to phishing sites that steal personal or payment details.—
Zak Doffman,
Forbes.com,
19 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Only six games remain, and if the players continue to repay the faith Igor Tudor is putting in them, the Coach should succeed in his mission to secure Champions League football for Juventus next season.—
Adam Digby,
Forbes.com,
13 Apr. 2025
-
Consumers and businesses could struggle to repay their loans if the import levies reignite inflation and dampen economic growth.—
Niket Nishant and Nupur Anand,
USA Today,
11 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pay.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pay. Accessed 29 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share