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as in to bribe
to influence someone with a bribe
she paid off the security guard so that she could steal whatever she liked
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in profit
the amount of money left when expenses are subtracted from the total amount received
the payoff on the investment was only about $500
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in pivotal
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of payoff
Andrew Unterberger, Billboard, 17 Aug. 2025
Kelsey Neubauer, CNBC, 8 Sep. 2025
Debby Ryan's years as a nanny are about to pay off.
—Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Sep. 2025
Pete Hammond, Deadline, 30 Aug. 2025
The payoff Social media has never been about shouting into the void.
—Allen Buchanan, Oc Register, 30 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for payoff
Verb
Not wrong for much of the last three decades — but Saturday night’s gig, and all the joyous revelry surrounding it, showed why the Live ’25 Tour has been payoff enough for none of them to look back in anger at any of it.
—Andrew Unterberger, Billboard, 17 Aug. 2025
Noun
Pay down high-interest debts The first thing to do with any extra money is to pay off high-interest debts, like credit card bills, which can quickly gobble up any windfall.
—Kelsey Neubauer, CNBC, 8 Sep. 2025
Debby Ryan's years as a nanny are about to pay off.
—Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
Not to give anything away, but this is one movie where the payoff for that suggestion means Netflix won’t be able to cut off the end credits for a change.
—Pete Hammond, Deadline, 30 Aug. 2025
The payoff Social media has never been about shouting into the void.
—Allen Buchanan, Oc Register, 30 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for payoff
Recent Examples of Synonyms for payoff
Verb
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There are also fears that doctors in these practices may focus too much on keeping paying patients happy, rather than providing the best disease management or medical care, researchers said.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
3 Sep. 2025
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The jump in community college enrollment shows that more people feel this type of education sets them up to find a well-paying job without going into heavy debt, officials at Cincinnati State Technical and Community College said.—
Bebe Hodges,
The Enquirer,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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According to court records, Recio agreed to bribe Costanzo, who was the DEA supervisor in Miami, in exchange for his providing the private investigator with confidential information about narcotics investigations.—
Jay Weaver,
Miami Herald,
29 Aug. 2025
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Reviewing fake CDLs experts say are sometimes issued by unscrupulous American trucking schools or bribed Mexican bureaucrats.—
Trevor Hughes,
USA Today,
26 Aug. 2025
Noun
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However, City paid more for Clinton than United did for Park, meaning United came out with a profit.—
Charlotte Harpur,
New York Times,
6 Sep. 2025
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Last month Pop Mart reported an astonishing near 400% increase in profits for the first half of the year.—
Haicen Yang,
CNN Money,
5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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While both teams chase Kansas City in the loaded AFC, Buffalo’s win could prove pivotal come January.—
Zak Keefer,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
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With the actress as the first spokesperson, the program will give women equitable access to menopause support and resources in hopes of ending the stigma surrounding the pivotal stage of life.—
Vanessa Etienne,
PEOPLE,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Fast-food restaurants, once the first stop for Americans looking to get at least one meal in before a long work day, are fighting to win back customers.—
Betty Lin-Fisher,
USA Today,
1 Sep. 2025
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Compared with Let’s Move’s easygoing recommendations—children should get at least one hour of physical activity each day, and everyone should drink one more glass of water—MAHA is also considerably more macho.—
Tom Bartlett,
The Atlantic,
1 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Plenty of agency officials were already put off by the DOGErs, who often issued peremptory orders to meet with them and answer questions.—
Eli Hager,
ProPublica,
8 Sep. 2025
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Jayden Daniels #5 of the Washington Commanders and Russell Wilson #3 of the New York Giants meet after the Washington Commanders beat the New York Giants 21-6 during the game at Northwest Stadium on September 07, 2025 in Landover, Maryland.—
Michael Gallagher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Two tickets sold in California, two tickets bought in Georgia, and single tickets purchased in Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, Ohio and Pennsylvania all matched five numbers except for the Powerball worth $1 million each.—
Chris Sims,
IndyStar,
7 Sep. 2025
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Single tickets bought in Kansas and Texas each matched all five numbers except for the Powerball and added the Power Play worth $2 million each.—
Chris Sims,
Louisville Courier Journal,
7 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Lee’s defeat represented a watershed moment for the groups fighting for public lands.—
Ali Nolan,
Outside,
27 Aug. 2025
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Antitrust scholars suggest this case could be a watershed moment.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
25 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Payoff.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/payoff. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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