1
2
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
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Recent Examples of pay off
Boston Herald Editorial Staff, Boston Herald, 8 May 2026
But that hard work has certainly paid off.
—Daily News, 8 May 2026
David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 13 May 2026
Graubünden routes climb into alpine meadows and rock gardens where the payoff is mountain flora and wildlife sightings.
—Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 11 May 2026
Andrew Unterberger, Billboard, 17 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pay off
Verb
No wonder so many recent graduates are lighting up social media with posts about the difficulties of finding a job in their field, the crushing burden of paying off big loans, and the increasing inability to get by, much less thrive.
—Boston Herald Editorial Staff, Boston Herald, 8 May 2026
But that hard work has certainly paid off.
—Daily News, 8 May 2026
Noun
The payoff can be even more exciting.
—David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 13 May 2026
Graubünden routes climb into alpine meadows and rock gardens where the payoff is mountain flora and wildlife sightings.
—Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 11 May 2026
Adjective
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
See All Example Sentences for pay off
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pay off
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
-
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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Please, holler at your boy, soften my enemies, bribe the devil.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
13 May 2026
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Another man Wang communicated with, John Chen, was also sentenced to 20 months in prison for acting as an unregistered agent and bribing an IRS agent, prosecutors said.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA Today,
12 May 2026
Noun
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Their financial profits are dependent upon ceaseless, never-ending armed conflicts and wars.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
14 May 2026
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That would allow the company to put those savings into lower fares, according to company officials, or into profits and bonus checks, as critics contend.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
13 May 2026
Adjective
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But what makes this offseason a pivotal moment for them is the additional tax rate known as the repeater tax — a more severe financial penalty based on five-year windows, incentivizing owners not to spend excessively over the salary cap for prolonged periods.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
8 May 2026
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Furthermore, Sharpe spent six months learning how to tinkle the ivories, an impressive commitment which pays off during the pivotal piano battles and ensures a welcome absence of clumsy cutaways from fingers to face.—
Jon O'Brien,
IndieWire,
8 May 2026
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
Adjective
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The move turned out to be a watershed moment for Mansoori, who caught the bug.—
Brayden Garcia,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
6 May 2026
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Maher cited Walmart’s recent updates to its policies regarding Sparky, its own AI shopping agent, as a watershed moment for the industry.—
Arthur Zaczkiewicz,
Footwear News,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Yet such gestures failed to meet the scale of the problem.—
Molly Fischer,
New Yorker,
11 May 2026
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Trump is meeting Xi for the first time since taking office for his second term, following months of growing tension between both countries.—
Leonie Kidd,
CNBC,
10 May 2026
Verb
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However, rights groups, including Global Witness, have long urged jewelers to avoid buying Burmese gemstones, saying the trade helps fund the country's military governments, according to The Associated Press.—
Sophia Compton,
FOXNews.com,
11 May 2026
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During the liquidation process, other airlines will buy Spirit’s planes, hire some of its former employees, and, eventually, take over its slots, including those at the Marine Air Terminal.—
John Cassidy,
New Yorker,
11 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pay off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pay%20off. Accessed 15 May. 2026.
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